Oklahoma Moon
by Cheap Trixie
Summary: Growing up with a gang of guys had made AJ Adare a little tougher than your average girl, but even she gets crushes,and her feelings for Steve are anything but platonic.He just see's her as a kid though and there's nothing she can do to change that...
1. Girl Next Door

**Author's Note: I'm hoping this story goes better than my old one did. I just kinda fell out of the rhythm of that one. This story is a different though, I've been thinking on it for awhile now. I think it's gonna turn out pretty good and I've been putting a lot of thought into AJ, my OC, and her family. Her mother is based slightly on my stepmom, who I adore, and Amy is basically my little sister Grace in written form. My sister has an IQ of 196 at 12 yrs old and is too damn smart for her own good most of the time. Also, while this will follow in canon with the book, when I picture the characters, I picture the movie characters. I can't help it. Matt Dillion was too freakin' sexy as Dallas. Oh, and this starts the Spring before the events in the book.**

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own The Outsiders or any of the song lyrics mentioned here.**

* * *

_She had her eyes on the prize as the girl next door_

_You grow up quick when you grow up poor_

_-Nickelback_

* * *

**April 29th, 1966-**

AJ Adare sighed and looked over at her best friend, Ponyboy Curtis. They were sitting on the Adare's front porch. He had his nose stuck in a book, as usual, while she played the same three cords on her secondhand guitar. Pony, sensing her gaze, looked up at her.

"What?" He asked. AJ shrugged and looked around.

"I'm bored." She replied. "Let's do something." She strummed the cords again and he made a face.

"But I'm right at the good part!" He protested. AJ cocked her eyebrow, a trick she had picked up from Two-Bit Matthews.

"The book will be here when we get back, Pone." She said. "Come on, lets walk down to the DX or something."

Pony looked at her. "You only wanna walk down there because_ Steve_ is there."

AJ felt her face heat up. "So what?"

"So when are you gonna get over this stupid crush you have on him?" Pony asked. "He has a girlfriend and besides, you're too young for him."

"He's seventeen and I'll be sixteen in October!" She argued. "And I know he was a girlfriend, but I can think he's cute if I want to, Ponyboy Curtis." She bit her lip. "Look, I'm just really bored. Can't we please walk down there and get some sodas? We don't gotta stay long."

Ponyboy sighed, but dog-eared his page and sat the book down. "All right." He said. She grinned.

"Just let me put my guitar in the house." She said. He nodded and she headed inside, through the living room and down the small hallway that lead to her room. She sat her guitar in the corner and headed back out. She paused by her younger sister, Amy's, room and stuck her head in the door.

Amy was sitting at her desk, working on her a science project. She looked up when AJ said her name.

"Hey, me and Pony are gonna walk down to the DX for awhile." AJ told her. "You'll be okay here by yourself for a bit?"

Amy gave her a Look. "I'm twelve, not two. I'll be fine."

AJ held up her hands in mock surrender. "Just wanted to make sure."

Even though Amy was twelve and the baby of three girls, she was probably smarter than both of her sisters put together. She was even smarter than Ponyboy, although her specialty was in science. Amy had been skipped two grades in school and would be graduating the eighth grade at the end of the school year.

"Took you long enough." Pony said to her when she got back to the porch. She paused at the door, trying to keep her fat, orange cat, Whiskers Meowington, from running outside.

"Sorry." AJ replied. "I had to tell Amy we were leaving."

"Oh," Pony said, looking past her. "Does she wanna come?"

AJ shook her head. "No, she's working on some science project thingy. A tornado could rip through the house and she wouldn't budge."

Pony laughed and the two of them headed down the street.

AJ and Pony had grown up next door to each other; their mother's had been friends for years. The two families had stuck together through even the hardest of times, like when AJ's father had taken off right after Amy was born, leaving Mrs. Adare to raise three girls on her own. Or, this past winter, when Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had been killed.

"Hey, there's Johnny!" Pony said, pulling AJ from her thoughts. She grinned and waved as the dark haired boy rushed up the sidewalk to them.

"Hey guys." He said. "Where y'all headed?"

"To the DX." AJ told him, slinging her arm across his shoulder. "Wanna come?"

"Yeah." He said, grinning at her.

The three of them walked in silence. "Did you guys do the homework for Franklin yet?" Pony asked after a few minutes of quiet. All three of them were nearing the end of their freshman year at Will Rogers High School.

Johnny shrugged and shook his head. "I don't really understand that math stuff." He said.

"I'll help you." Pony told him. "What about you, AJ? You do it?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but I probably got most of it wrong."

Johnny grinned at her again and the three of them cut across the lot.

Being as it was a Saturday afternoon, AJ was surprised to find the DX was empty. The place was normally knee deep in girls when Sodapop, Pony's older brother, was working.

"Hey y'all!" Soda said when he spotted them coming through the door. "What're you guys up to?"

Pony shrugged. "AJ was bored, so we came to get something to drink."

Steve Randle, Soda's best friend and AJ's dream crush, popped up from the aisle he was sweeping. "AJ, you have the attention span of a gnat."

Johnny and Pony laughed at how true it was and AJ stuck her tongue out at him. "You're just jealous 'cause I'm prettier than you, Randle." She said, trying to act tough, but with her insides jumping for joy that he had acknowledged her.

"I'll give you that one." Steve said and AJ felt her face burn. Pony and Johnny were both snickering at her now. As her best friends, they were the only ones who knew how she felt about Steve.

"How's Alice?" Soda asked. Alice was AJ's older sister and Soda had always had a bit of a thing for her, despite the fact that she was now married and expecting a baby.

"She's good." AJ told him. "About ready to pop, but good."

"When's the baby due again?" Steve asked, leaning against his broom.

"May 24th." AJ replied. "Just about a month left."

"You want a Pepsi?" Pony asked as he made his way over to the sodas.

"I do." Johnny said, but AJ shook her head.

"I think I want an orange soda." She said. "And grab me a Root Beer to take back to Amy."

"Yeah, where is the squirt?" Soda asked. "I thought she'd be with y'all."

AJ shook her head. "She's working on a science project. You know what a big deal those are to her."

"What is it this time?" Soda asked. Amy was smart in ways he couldn't even understand and all her projects fascinated him, even if he didn't get them half the time.

"I don't know…something to do with making her own ammonium nitrate." AJ shrugged. "Whatever the hell that is."

Soda shook his head. "She's gonna blow up our street yet, you just watch."

AJ grinned. "I don't doubt it." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "My Mom will be off of her shift pretty soon; I guess I better get on home and get supper started."

"What're y'all having?" Soda asked interestedly.

"Meatloaf, corn, and mashed potatoes." AJ answered. "And since Darry works tonight, Mama already told me to have you and Pony over to eat with us."

Soda grinned. "Yum. I'll be there for sure."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Imagine that."

AJ grinned and the three of them paid for their soda's and left the gas station, heading back towards Quebec Avenue.

"So…" Ponyboy dragged the word out. "Steve said you were pretty."

AJ felt her face burn again. "He did not." She protested. "He said I was prettier than him. There's a difference."

Pony shrugged. "Not really."

He studied his friend in the late afternoon sun. She wore her honey blonde hair long because she claimed it was easier to pull it back in a ponytail or braid than to cut and style it. Her eyes were a tawny golden brown, the brows over them nearly straight. When she smiled, three dimples popped out on her face: one in each cheek and one above her mouth. AJ was, in a word, cute- that catch all description that said that while she wasn't a drop dead stunner, there was nothing driving her into the realms of ugliness.

"Pony, what time do you think you and Soda will be over?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, about 5:30, I guess." He answered.

"Johnny, you wanna come too?" AJ asked their other friend, kicking a pebble along the road. Johnny shrugged, and then nodded.

"Yeah, I guess." He answered. "If you're sure Ms. Nora won't mind."

"Johnny Cade, you know by now that my Mama adores you!" AJ told him. "She says so all the time."

It was true, Ms. Nora, as they all called her, was sort of the mother hen of their gang, always fussing over the boys.

"All right." AJ said when they reached her house. "I'll see you all in a bit."

"Okay." Both boys said to her and she headed inside.

"Got you a root beer." She told Amy, sitting it on her desk.

"Thanks." Her sister answered, barely looking up.

In the kitchen, AJ flipped the radio on and pulled a package of thawed hamburger from the refrigerator. She hummed along to the music as she mixed the meat with eggs and cracker crumbs, like her mother had taught her.

Once the meatloaf was mixed and in the oven, she started peeling potatoes. Fixing dinner was something she did pretty much every night. Her mother worked the day shift as a nurse at the hospital and, as smart as Amy was, she couldn't boil water without burning it, so the brunt of the cooking fell to AJ. She didn't mind though; in fact, she enjoyed it.

While the potatoes were boiling and the meatloaf baking in the oven, she decided to whip together a small dessert. It wasn't much, just a box cheesecake, but she threw some chocolate chips in with it. She made up a pitcher of iced tea.

It was nearing 5:30 when she heard her mother's car pull into the driveway. Everything was almost done and the boys would be over soon.

"Amy, come set the table!" She called, turning the radio off as her mother came through the door.

Nora Adare was an older version of her daughter. Her blonde hair was graying slightly and her brown eyes had a few wrinkles around them, but AJ thought her mom looked good for thirty-nine. She had worked hard, raising three children and putting herself through nursing school.

"Hi, Mama." AJ said, kissing her cheek.

"Smells good, baby." Her mom told her. "Just let me go change and I'll come in here and finish up."

"No, just go relax." AJ told her. "It's nearly done and Amy's gonna set the table. Soda and Ponyboy won't be here for a few more minutes. Oh, and Johnny's coming too."

"Good, good." Nora said distractedly, heading back to her own bedroom.

It was 5:30 on the nose when Pony and Soda arrived, with Johnny, Steve, and surprisingly, Dallas Winston, trailing behind them.

"Dally!" AJ said in surprise when she saw him. "When did you get out of jail?"

He smiled his crooked smile. "This afternoon." He answered.

"Hail hail, the gangs all here." Nora said, coming back into the kitchen. "Dallas, what were they feeding you in that place? You're skin and bones!"

"Oh, you know," Dally said nonchalantly. "The usual: bread and water."

Nora snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised. Amy, get some extra plates for Dal and Steve. You boys just sit on down here. You want some iced tea?"

Steve grinned. Ms. Nora reminded him a lot of his own mother before she had passed away. He nodded at Amy when she sat a plate down in front of him and helped himself to the bowl of corn. AJ poured him a glass of tea and he winked at her. Her face heated up and she looked away. He knew that the kid had a crush on him, it was dead obvious. She was a cute little thing, he thought, but to young for him. Besides, he had Evie and she was all the woman he could handle.

"I made a cheesecake for afters." AJ said and Dallas looked up. He loved cheesecake.

"Guess I picked a good day to be let out of the clink." He said, eating some mashed potatoes.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Nora asked him. "Because we've got room on the couch if you don't."

He shrugged. "I'll hitch a ride out to Buck's after while; see if he's got any rooms open."

Nora shook her head, but didn't say anything. She knew that the surest way to scare Dally off was to smother him with affection. "All right." Was all she said. "Johnny, take some more of these potatoes."

Johnny started, but held out his plate and allowed Nora to scoop a huge helping onto it. Whiskers was sniffing around the table and Soda fed him a piece of his meatloaf.

"Sodapop Curtis, I know you're not feeding that animal from my table." Nora said without looking up. Soda's face turned a little red.

"No ma'am." He answered, winking at Amy, who grinned.

"You're on KP duty tonight, Ames." AJ told her. "Since I made the meal."

Amy sighed. "Fine." She said.

Soda snickered. "You said_ duty_." Steve flicked a piece of corn at him.

"Grow up, Soda. God, you're like Two-Bit more everyday." He said. He drained the last of his tea and stood up. "Well, I hate to eat and run, but I told Evie I'd pick her up at 6:30, so I better get out of here." He pulled AJ's ponytail. "It was good, kid."

"Thanks." She said, looking down. She hated Evie Young, Steve's steady girlfriend.

One by one, the boys drifted out. Nora quickly put together a plate for Pony and Soda to take home for Darry to eat when he got off work. Pony scratched Whiskers on the head.

"Don't look so glum." He told AJ. "You know Steve can't stick with one girl for very long. He and Evie will break up in no time."

She sighed. It didn't matter, she thought. She was a kid in Steve's eyes and that's all she would ever be.


	2. At Fifteen

**Author's Note: A very big thank you to all the reviews I've gotten so far! Especially to Yehhhok, who left me what was possibly the longest and nicest review anyone has ever given me! You rock!**

* * *

_When you're fifteen feeling like _

_There's nothing to figure out _

_Well count to ten, take it in, _

_This is life before you know who you're gonna be _

_At fifteen_

_-Taylor Swift_

* * *

AJ smoothed her skirt and sighed, glancing at her watch. Steve was late.

"Where is he?" Amy asked, looking up and down the street again. "I've got to meet with Mr. Simpson before homeroom!"

"He'll be here, Amy. Calm down." Ponyboy said.

It was Monday morning and Steve was supposed to be picking them up for school. He was supposed to be there at 7:15 and it was now nearing 7:30. Pony and AJ weren't overly concerned about it, but Amy was having spasms at the thought of being late.

"Here he comes." Pony said, standing up from the step. He brushed the seat of his jeans off as Steve's '54 Oldsmobile roared up to the curb. It would be a nice car once he got finished with it…if he ever got finished with it.

"You're late!" Amy told him as Johnny climbed out of the passenger seat to let Pony and AJ in the backseat. AJ squeezed herself between Two-Bit and Ponyboy as Amy sat between Steve and Johnny in the front. "I'm supposed to meet Mr. Simpson, Steve!"

"I can get you to the middle school in less than five minutes." Steve told her. She glared at him and he punched the gas.

In the backseat AJ rested her head against the seat and slipped a peppermint in her mouth. She got carsick very easily and Steve's driving didn't help anything.

"Lookin' a little green there, AJ." Two-Bit cracked. She glared at him.

"Shut it, Matthews, or I'll puke on you."

"Hey now," Steve looked at her in the rearview mirror. "There ain't gonna be any ralphing in my car!"

AJ shot him a thumbs up.

True to his word, Steve got Amy to John Jenks Middle School in record time. She bustled out of the car, shouting her thanks over her shoulder as she ran off and Johnny climbed back in.

Steve had driving them all to school ever since he had bought himself a car back at the beginning of the school year. He continued to drive them, even after Sodapop had dropped out.

He screeched into the Will Rogers student lot with minutes to spare and the five of them headed off to their various classes.

"I'm headin' down to the Handee-Mart for lunch!" Steve said to them before they split up. "Who ever wants to ride with me, can."

AJ nodded and hurried up to the second floor for her homeroom. She skidded through the door and into her seat just as the final bell rang.

"Ah, Abigail," Mr. Moyer, her homeroom teacher, looked over the top of his glasses at her. "Glad you could join us."

"Always a pleasure, sir." She intoned and heard titters behind her. She had been telling her teachers all year that she preferred AJ over her given name of Abigail Jane, but only two of them actually called her that.

She lay her head down on her desk, her head still reeling from Steve's wild driving, and half-ass listened to the morning announcements. It mostly Soc stuff anyway.

Once homeroom was over, she headed out into the crowded hallway towards her locker.

"Adare!"

She heard her name being called and she looked over her shoulder to see Jesse Danvers heading towards her. He squeezed past two Socy looking chicks, who gave him dirty looks.

"Hey, Jesse, what's up?" AJ asked him, pulling her American History book from her locker.

"Nothing much." He replied. Jesse was a member of Tim Shepard's gang, a gang that AJ had gotten to know pretty well, since her sister was married to Tim's right hand man.

"Where you headed?" He asked, falling in step beside her as she began to walk.

"American History with Mr. Clutts" She replied. He nodded.

"Oh, I've got Foote next hour," He said. "I'll walk with you."

She nodded. "Okay."

"So, I was at Brandon and Alice's yesterday." He told her, referring to her sister and brother-in-law. "Man, she's about to pop, huh? Not much longer now."

"Yep."

"It's weird; Brandon's the first guy in our gang to have a kid." Jesse shrugged, and ran his hand over his oiled, brown hair.

"Yeah," AJ agreed. She wondered, briefly, why Jesse had sought her out. He was cute enough, she supposed, with his brown hair and freckles, but she had never given him much thought before. "Well, this is my class, so I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah," He said. He started to walk away and then turned back. "Hey, what're you doing for lunch?"

"Um…well, I usually ride down to the Handee-Mart with the guys. Why?"

He shrugged and grinned. "I was just wondering. Later, AJ."

"Bye." She stared after him for a few seconds, before going to her desk. That was weird.

The morning went by fairly quickly and before she knew, it was time for lunch. AJ met Ponyboy and Johnny by the front doors they made their way over to Steve's car. AJ tried not to make a face when she saw Evie, Steve's girlfriend, leaning against it.

"Where's Two-Bit?" Pony asked. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Oh, he got in trouble during science, made a big mess or some damn thing. Adams is making him spend his lunch hour cleaning it up."

AJ, Pony, and Johnny climbed in the back of the Olds and Evie sat in the front. As soon as she was in, she flipped the visor down and was fixing her make-up in the little mirror.

Evie was a very pretty girl, no one would argue that. She wore her black hair in long curls that hung half way down her back and her blue eyes were always lined in kohl. She had pale skin and always wore red lipstick. Although AJ would never admit this to anyone, Evie reminded her of a Greaser version of Snow White.

"Can we at least have some radio in here?" Evie asked as Steve started the engine.

"Whatever you want, babe." Steve told her and AJ had to work to keep from gagging in disgust.

When they got to the Handee-Mart, they all piled out. It was a popular lunch-time hangout spot for Greasers, and the place was packed.

AJ wandered the aisles of the little convenience store, looking for something to eat. She finally settled on a turkey sandwich and a Pepsi. She got in line and was only standing there maybe twenty seconds when she felt someone tug her ponytail. She turned around to find Jesse Danvers and Curly Shepard, Tim's little brother, behind her.

"Hey, AJ." Jesse said, grinning at her. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Hey, Jesse." She said, smiling back. "Hi, Curly."

"Hey." Curly said to her.

"What're you guys doing here?" She asked as the line moved up.

"Buying lunch." Jesse replied. "What else would we be doing?"

Outside, Steve was sitting on the hood of his car with Evie. Pony and Johnny had just joined them when he looked inside and saw AJ talking with Curly and Jesse.

"What's she doing talking to them hoods?" He asked. Pony shrugged.

"I dunno."

Steve narrowed his eyes as AJ laughed and touched Jesse's arm. She was too good for the likes of a thug like Jesse Danvers and he intended to tell her about as soon as he got a chance.

He didn't like this one little bit.

* * *

**Oho...is Stevie feeling a little jealous? We shall see...**


	3. So Much to Say

**Author's Note: Just a quick one, I promise! I just wanted to say that the song at the beginning of this chapter and the chapter's title are from The Beastie Boys song 'Gratitude' and I'm using it in honor of Beastie Boys member Adam 'MCA' Yauch, who passed away this morning (May 4th, 2012). He was an inspiration on my life and many others and I know he's still fighting for his right to party in the great beyond. Rest in peace, brother.**

* * *

_Do you know what you think  
That the world owes you?  
What's gonna set you free?_

_-Beastie Boys_

* * *

"I look like a beached whale." Alice sighed and dumped a package of chocolate chips in the cookie dough AJ was mixing up.

"You look beautiful." AJ told her.

It was true; even on her worst day; Alice could pass for a supermodel. And right now, dressed in a pair of stretchy black capris, a white maternity tank-top, and one of her husband's over-shirts, she looked like a very pregnant supermodel. Her hair, the same honey blonde as her mother's and her sisters, was pulled back into a curly mess of a bun.

Alice and Brandon lived in a small house on Highland Avenue, about four blocks from the Adare home. Brandon worked at the auto-parts store, the same job he'd had since dropping out of high school at sixteen. He was now twenty-one. He didn't make much, but between his job and his dealings with Tim, he made enough to support himself, Alice, and their soon-to-be baby.

"So…" Alice started, looking at her younger sister. "The guys were all here the other day, and Jesse was asking about you."

"What do you mean?" AJ asked, a funny feeling in her stomach. She mixed the dough with her hands and started pinching it off into little balls onto a cookie sheet.

"He asked me if you were going with anyone." Alice told her. She grinned. "I think he likes you."

"Do really think so?" AJ was flabbergasted. She'd caught boys checking her out since she lost her baby fat, but she's never had a boyfriend before. "What did you tell him?"

Alice grinned again. "I told him that you only had eyes for Steve Randle."

AJ glared at her. "You better be joking!"

"I am, don't worry. I didn't say anything about your crush on little Stevie. No, seriously, I told him that you weren't involved with anyone at the moment. Gotta make it sound sophisticated, you know." Alice replied.

"Do you think…I mean, is he gonna ask me out or something?" AJ asked her. Alice shrugged. She stuck one sheet of cookie in the oven and AJ started working on the next one.

"Dunno. He might. If he did, would you go out with him?"

AJ mulled it over for a minute. "I don't know…maybe. You think I should?"

Alice nodded. "Definitely. I mean, I know you like Steve, but he's content with Evie right now, so why should you sit around waiting for him to notice how great you are? Especially when another guy has already noticed."

AJ thought about this. "I guess…" She said. "I really like Steve, though, Al. You know I have for a long time now."

Alice squeezed her sister's shoulder. "I know, sweetie, but you're gonna have to face it: he's not interested right now. Jesse is, and he's a cutie. Why not give it a shot, huh?"

AJ shrugged and nodded. Her sister was right; Steve's head was shoved up Evie's ass right now. If Jesse wanted to take her out, what the hell?

These thoughts had just raced through AJ's head when the front door opened and Brandon walked in, followed by Tim and Curly Shepard and Jesse.

"Hi, baby." Brandon bent down to kiss Alice on the mouth. He tugged AJ's braid. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hey." Even though her brother-in-law was what most people would call a hood, AJ liked Brandon. He was tall and thin to the point of being skinny, with dark brown hair and eyes to match. He was always cracking jokes and laughing, but not quite like Two-Bit. Brandon was funny in his own way and he treated Alice like a queen.

"Hi, AJ." Curly said, hopping up on the counter. "Whatcha doin' here?"

"Curly, why you gotta ask such dumb ass questions?" Tim said to his brother. "She's obviously here to see Ally. How you doin', girl?" His question was aimed at Alice.

She smiled at him and sat down in a chair, her bulging belly huge in front of her. "As well as can be expected, I suppose."

"Looks like you swallowed a beach ball." Tim told her.

She laughed and wrapped her arms around Brandon's middle. "I know it! Just a few more weeks and it'll all be over though."

AJ tuned the conversation out and continued putting cookie dough on the baking sheets. She felt movement beside her and looked up to see Jesse, stealing a pinch of dough.

"Hey!" She lightly smacked his hand. "Wait till they're done!"

"Peanut butter chocolate chip?" He asked. "Pretty good idea."

"It's our Gran's recipe." She told him. "Whatcha guys up to?"

Jesse waved his hand. "Oh you know…just stuff." He said vaguely and AJ took that to mean gang stuff.

"Is it the Tigers?" Alice asked, worry in her eyes. They'd been having a lot of trouble with them lately, trying to deal stuff on Shepard turf. AJ noticed the look that passed between Brandon and Tim.

"No, baby," Brandon said after a beat of silence. "There's nothing for you to worry about."

Alice narrowed her eyes and looked from her husband to Tim. "Are you sure?" She asked.

Tim sighed. "Ally, the only thing you need to worry about is that baby. We'll take care of the rest."

AJ looked at Jesse and Curly, and chewed her lip. The air in the kitchen had turned heavy and she was glad when the oven timer went off, signaling that the cookies were finished. She pulled both pans out and sat the cookies out to cool.

It didn't do any good; however, the four boys fell on them as soon as they were out of the oven. There was something incredibly funny about seeing these tough hoods eating cookies and milk like little kids. AJ turned her head to keep from laughing and she caught sight of the clock.

"Shit, is it already after six? I better get home." She said. She kissed her sister's cheek and hugged her brother-in-law.

"You walking?" Brandon asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I walked over after school."

"Jesse, why don't you give her a ride home?" Tim said out of the blue, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Jesse hopped down off the counter where he'd been perched. "All right."

"You don't have to-." AJ started, Jesse cut her off.

"It's no problem." He told her, digging his car keys from his pocket.

"Well, if you're sure." She replied. Alice winked at her before she followed Jesse out the door.

His drove a dark green GTO that was parked at the curb. It was rumored that he had stolen it in Oklahoma City, but AJ didn't know if that was true or not. She climbed in the passenger side and rolled the window down, letting the warm, May air inside the car.

The ride was less than ten minutes and they were both silent through most of it. When Jesse pulled up in front of AJ's house, she could see Soda, Steve, Two-Bit, and Dally lounging around on the Curtis' front stoop, smoking cigarettes and drinking sodas. They were all four staring at her in the front seat of Jesse's car.

"So…thanks for giving me a ride." AJ said, turning towards Jesse. He grinned and she felt her heart flip-flop.

"It's cool." He told her. "So, uh, listen I wanna ask you something."

She tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ears. "What's that?"

"Well, I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go out Friday night?" He asked. "You know, with me?"

Even though Jesse wasn't exactly the one she wanted to hear saying these words, she still felt her face heat up. "Um…yeah. I'd like that a lot."

He grinned again. "Great. So, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

She nodded and he leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek.

Up on the Curtis' front steps, Soda was having a silent fit of the giggles. "He just kissed her on the cheek! Ho boy, did y'all see that? AJ's got herself a boyfriend!"

"I don't think it's funny." Steve said, kicking his foot at Soda. "Jesse Danvers is a goddamn hood."

"And what are you? St. Steven?" Two-Bit cracked. Steve glared at him.

"No, I ain't no saint, but at least I bought and paid for my car. I didn't still it off the street." He said. Two-Bit nodded sagely.

"Yeah, but your car is a piece of crap. Danvers has_ wheels_."

"Shut up, Two-Bit." Dally said, lighting a cigarette. "You're car is a hunk of junk if I ever saw one."

"Well, now that's true." Two-Bit agreed, sounding as though the thought hadn't ever occurred to him.

They watched AJ say a few more words to Jesse, and then climb out of his car. Soda hailed her as she was walking up her sidewalk.

"AJ! Come here!"

"Hey guys, what's up?" She asked warily, making her way through the yard.

"Is Danvers your new boyfriend?" Soda asked, a teasing lilt in his voice. She blushed.

"No!" She protested.

"Then why was he kissing you, huh?" Soda took far too much pleasure in teasing the poor girl.

AJ turned, if possible, an even brighter shade of red. "We're just…I mean, he's taking me to the movies Friday night." She told them.

Without really knowing why, Steve felt a jolt of anger in his gut.

"That's good, kiddo." Soda was telling her. "This is your first date, huh?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Well, I better get home and make sure Amy isn't building a bomb or something. See y'all later."

"I can't believe she's actually gonna go out with that delinquent!" Steve said as soon as AJ was out of earshot.

Dally flicked his cigarette at him. "Man, why do you even care? Let the kid have some fun for once in her life and worry about your own girlfriend."

"I _don't_ care." Steve replied hotly. "I'm just lookin' out for her is all."

Two-Bit nodded. "Yeah…_right_." He said sarcastically, and then ducked when Steve chucked his empty soda bottle at him.

He was just concerned, Steve told himself. That's all it was…concern.


	4. First Date Part One

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the great reviews and adds! Anyway, this chapter is actually gonna be in two parts, otherwise it would've been super long and I just didn't like it like that. So, I hope you enjoy part one and I'll have part two up tomorrow!**

* * *

_I may not be a ten_

_But the boys say I clean up good_

_-Gretchen Wilson_

* * *

AJ picked out a Peter, Paul, and Mary tune on her guitar. She'd taught herself to play when she was just eight years old, and it was a great way to ease her nerves…and she was nervous.

She was sitting in the living room on Friday afternoon, waiting for Alice. AJ only had a handful of girlfriends and none of them knew anymore about getting ready for a date than she did, so she had called her sister. Alice had promised to be over within forty-five minutes.

"Can't you play anything happier than Blowin' in the Wind?"

AJ looked up from her guitar as Alice bustled through the front door, with two bulging shopping bags.

"How's this?" AJ picked out the first notes of 'Be My Baby' and Alice nodded.

"Better." She sat the bags and down and put her hands on her hips. "Well, what time is Jesse picking you up?"

"6:30." AJ replied. She eyed the bags. "What's in there?"

Alice just grinned. "You'll see. It's already almost five, so you better go get in the shower."

AJ put down her guitar and headed back to the small bathroom.

"And shave your legs!" Alice called after her. AJ rolled her eyes. "I'll be waiting in your bedroom!"

Once she was under the stream of warm water, she lathered her blonde hair up with her Perell shampoo. She figured Alice knew what she was talking about so she shaved her legs, too. When she was done showering, she wrapped a towel turban style around her hair and pulled her mother's pink bathrobe off the back of the door, shrugging it on.

She found Alice stretched out on her bed, flipping through a past issue of Seventeen magazine. She looked up when AJ came through the door.

"All right!" Alice struggled up off the bed. "You ready?"

"I…I guess so." AJ answered, feeling even more nervous about what her sister was going to do to her than she did about the actual date.

"I brought all kinds of stuff." Alice told her, pawing through the shopping bags. "A few outfits, some makeup, curlers…everything you'll need."

"Okay." AJ chewed her lip. "I'm gonna turn the radio on, okay?"

Alice waved her hands, still concentrating on the contents of her bags. "Fine."

AJ flipped her stereo on and the sounds of The Rolling Stones filled the room.

"Turn that up and come here!" Alice told her. AJ cranked it up louder and she made her way over to her big sister. "Sit." Alice told her, gesturing her for her to sit in front of the mirror.

As soon as AJ was seated, Alice went to work. She slathered lotion on AJ's face, and then applied make-up. She rolled her hair in small sponge curlers and left them to dry. AJ was surprised to find that she was actually enjoying herself as the two of them danced around, singing along to the radio. Well, Alice danced the best she could with her large stomach.

They were in the middle of a huge rendition of The Supereme's 'Baby Love', when AJ's bedroom door flew open.

"Do you two_ mind_?" Amy demanded, hands on her hips. "I can't concentrate on my book, what with all the caterwauling in here!"

Alice and AJ looked at one another and burst in to laugher. "Lighten up, sissy." Alice told her over the music. She grabbed Amy's hands and pulled her in to dance. With the three of them goofing around like this, AJ felt almost like it was old times, before Alice had married Brandon and moved out.

"All right." Alice said, after about twenty more minutes of being silly. "Your hair's almost dry, so let's look through the clothes I brought for you." AJ was still in their mother's robe.

She held up a few dresses, one a white babydoll dress with little red polka dots and the other a yellow and navy blue striped shift dress. She also had some skirt and sweater sets, but AJ liked the red dress the best.

"I like this." She said, taking it. She felt silly, but made her sisters turn their backs while she slipped on her bra and panties. "Okay." She said and her sister's turned back around, Alice helping her into the short, white dress.

"These shoes go with it." Alice held out a pair of shiny, red high-heeled sandals. "Now sit down and let me finish your hair."

AJ sat back down on the little stool and Amy perched on the edge of her bed, her book forgotten. "You look really pretty, AJ." She said, which was a rare compliment from the twelve-year-old.

"Thanks, Ames." AJ smiled at her.

"Alice, when I go on my first date, will you come over and help me get ready?" Amy asked, plucking at her blue jeans. Alice beamed.

"Of course I will!" She winked at AJ. "Do you have a boyfriend, Amy?"

Amy's face turned scarlet. "_No_!" She yelped.

"But there's a boy you like?" Alice prompted. Amy nodded.

"I don't wanna tell you guys who, though." She said, her face burning again. "You'll tease me."

"Is it someone we know?" AJ asked. Amy nodded again.

"Yeah, but please don't make me tell who." She pleaded and her sister's exchanged a look in the mirror.

"All right, we won't ask." Alice reassured her, returning to AJ's hair.

When it was all done, AJ was amazed at how grown up she looked. Alice had taken out the rollers and brushed her hair into soft curls, pinning it back from her face. The make-up she wore was light, just enough to bright out the soft brown of her eyes.

"Jesse won't know what hit him!" Alice said. "Let's go next door and show Darry, Soda, and Pony! Won't they be surprised at how well you clean up?"

AJ sighed. She should've known Alice would want to drag her finished product around like a show horse or something. She followed behind her big sister as she waddled across the lawn an up the front steps of the Curtis home.

"Knock knock!" She sang out, opening the door. I had to bring AJ over so you guys could see her before she goes out!"

She yanked AJ's arm, pulling her into the room. Darry was sitting in an arm chair, reading the paper, and Pony and Soda were playing cards at the coffee table.

Ponyboy grinned at her. "Lookin' good, AJ." He said. She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed.

"AJ…" Darry said, looking up at her. "You look nice!"

"Thanks." She felt her face heat up again; even more so when she noticed that Steve had just walked out of the bathroom and was also staring at her.

"Look at you!" Soda hooted. "All fancied up for your date! You clean up real good, Adare!"

"Doesn't she?" Alice gushed. "What do you think, Steve?"

He gave her a quick once over. "Looks real pretty." He muttered, dropping back down beside Sodapop and picking up his cards.

"Well, we better get back next door. Jesse will be picking her up real soon." Alice said. "See y'all."

They walked out to the chorus of byes and back across the yard. Pony watched them go through the front window.

"AJ really looked pretty, didn't she?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Soda agreed. "But it was weird, seeing her look like a girl." Darry rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't she look like a girl everyday?" He asked. "I mean, she wears skirts to school and stuff."

"Yeah," Soda said. "But those are _school clothes_. She doesn't like, wear make-up and have her hair all fixed like that. Does she Steve?"

Steve shook his head. "Nope." He answered. "Are we playin' or what?"

Soda nodded and the three of them started their game up again. Steve didn't want to admit how good AJ had looked. In fact, when he came out of the bathroom, it had taken him a few seconds to even recognize her! When had she gotten so pretty? He wondered. And why did he suddenly care?


	5. First Date Part Two

**Author's Note: Here we are, the awaited second part of First Date! Enjoy!**

* * *

_In the car_

_I just can't wait_

_To pick you up on our very first date_

_-Blink-182_

* * *

"There she goes." Ponyboy said, watching AJ climb into the front seat of Jesse's GTO. "I still can't believe she's going out with him."

"Wonder what Ms. Nora thinks about it?" Darry asked, looking up from his paper again. "With him being a member of Shepard's group and all."

Pony shrugged. "She probably doesn't care, as long as AJ keeps out of trouble. I mean, she never had a problem with Alice dating Brandon."

"Yeah, till he knocked her up." Soda said, a rare snide comment from him.

"No offense, little buddy, but I really don't think Alice would've gone out with you anyway." Darry told him. "You're too young."

"And it's kinda creepy to listen to you pining away for a pregnant chick." Pony added, laughing as Soda hit him with a throw pillow.

"Shut up, I'm not _pining_ for her." He said, his face turning red. "I got a girl, remember? Sandy suits me just fine."

Steve was quiet through this conversation. He didn't know why, but it really bugged him that Danvers was taking AJ out. He thought she was supposed to have a crush on him. If so, why was she dating someone else?

He sighed lightly and closed his eyes. Girls were too confusing.

In Jesse's GTO, AJ was trying not to be too nervous.

"You look really beautiful." Jesse told her. She looked at him in his jeans and black button down shirt.

"So do you." She replied.

"I look beautiful?" He asked, grinning. She flushed.

"No…I meant, you like nice…also…" She stammered and he laughed.

"AJ, you don't gotta be nervous, all right? We're just two good friends hanging out."

"Okay." She looked down at her lap and took a deep, settling breath.

"So…um, I was planning on taking you to Pogalino's, if that's all right." He said, shifting his car into the next gear.

She widened her eyes at him. "Isn't that mostly Soc's?" She asked in surprise.

He shrugged. "Yeah, but they have great food and besides, I gotta right to take my best girl wherever the hell I want."

She felt a flush of pleasure when he referred to her as 'his best girl'. "Okay, Pogalino's it is, then." She smiled at him and he reached across the seat and took her hand.

Pogalino's was on North 24th Street, a Socy address if there ever was one. Jesse parked the car in the lot and continued to hold AJ's hand on the way in. The pizzeria was packed with Soc's. Some of them gave the Greaser's dirty looks, but most just ignored them. Jesse led her to a back booth and the waitress came over for their orders.

They both ordered Pepsi's and a large pepperoni pizza, along with a basket of bread sticks to share.

"So, do you come here a lot?" AJ asked him. He shrugged, and then nodded.

"Yeah, well…my uncle kinda…owns the place." He said sheepishly. "That's why I don't get hassled about coming here. Then Soc's know if they try to fight me, Uncle Phil won't let 'em back in here again."

AJ grinned. "I should've known you got the inside connection. You are a member of the Shepard outfit, after all."

He shrugged and smiled, running his hand over his brown locks. "Well, that was just something I kinda fell into." He said.

"How do you kinda fall into a gang?" AJ asked, looking up as the waitress sat their sodas down in front of them.

He shrugged again. "Tim thinks I'm a good man to have around 'cause I can pretty much drive anything on wheels. I mean, I'm no Randle, but I think I'm a close second."

AJ felt her face flush just a bit when he mentioned Steve. She bit her lip and then pushed all thoughts of him from her mind.

Jesse was right; the food at Pogalino's was really good and AJ enjoyed herself, especially when Jesse's Uncle Phil made his way over to talk. He was a large man with salt and pepper hair and very friendly. He made AJ laugh out loud a couple of times.

After they ate, Jesse asked her if she'd like to go to the Nightly Double, as they were playing Hitchcock movies all weekend long.

"Sure, that sounds great." AJ told him as he started the car. She rolled her window down; the evening was warm and, at a little after 7:30, it was just starting to get dark out.

The Nightly Double was playing Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, and Dial M for Murder.

"Ooh, I love Psycho!" AJ told Jesse as they paid their money to get in.

"I do too." He said.

Jesse drove to one of the middle parking spots and hooked the little speaker up to his car. The two of them made small talk while they waited for the movie to start.

It was starting to grow dark when the film began and both Jesse and AJ fell silent as they were sucked into the lives of Marion Crane and Norman Bates. Even though she had seen the movie several times, AJ found herself getting a little freaked out, as she did every time she watched it. She slid across the seat, closer to Jesse.

"Scared?" He asked her, not in a mean way. She shook her head.

"Not really. Just a little creeped out." She said, He smiled at her and rested his arm over her shoulders.

"Better?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah."

Even though she knew it was coming, AJ held her breath through the shower scene. It was just getting to the good part when someone banged loudly on the car window. Jesse and AJ both practically jumped out of their skin.

"Heehee!" It was Two-Bit, laughing his butt of at the fact that he had scared them so bad.

"Glory Hallelujah! Two-Bit Matthews, you scared me to death!" AJ said to him. Jesse was taking shaky breaths beside her. She looked up at him. "You okay?"

He laughed. "Yeah. I just about peed my pants, but I'm all right."

This caused Two-Bit to laugh even harder. "Shoulda wore a diaper, Danvers."

Jesse smirked. "Bite me, Matthews."

AJ looked around him at her friend. "Two-Bit, what're you even doing here?"

"Why, I'm here to see the lovely Ms. Janet Leigh in the shower." He told them. "And then I noticed you two here and thought I'd see if I could scare you. Guess I succeeded!"

AJ smiled and shook her head. "You're mean." _And three sheets to the wind_, she thought to herself. "Where's Kathy?" She asked, talking about his on again off again girlfriend.

He shrugged. "Dunno. She's kinda pissed at me right now."

"Did you scare the pants off her too?" Jesse asked and Two-Bit grinned a little.

"No, she's mad 'cause she thinks I was flirting with Hilary Anderson in the hallway yesterday." He said.

"Were you?" AJ asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah." At least he had the decency to sound sheepish about it. "Well, kiddo's, I'm gonna got hunt up some trouble." He winked at Jesse. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Danvers."

"Shut up." AJ told him. He blew her a kiss and took off. Jesse shook his head.

"Well, I guess we've had our scare for the night."

AJ laughed and allowed him to put his arm back around her. "You got that right."

They finished Psycho and Rear Window without incident. When the second film was over, it was getting close to AJ's curfew, so Jesse drove her home. They sat at the curb in front of her house for a few minutes.

"I really had a lot of fun tonight." She told him.

"Yeah?" Jesse grinned. "Me too. Can I take you out again sometime?"

She grinned back and nodded. "I'd like that."

Jesse brought his hand up to her cheek. "Can I kiss you?"

AJ nodded and he brought his lips to hers. They broke apart after several seconds.

"I better get inside." AJ told him. He nodded and kissed her cheek again.

"Can I call you tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said, slipping out of the car.

AJ was so wrapped up in thoughts of Jesse that she didn't see Sodapop and Steve on the Curtis' front porch. They were both watching her, though.

"I guess they really are going steady." Soda said, drinking a sip of Pepsi.

"Yep." Steve muttered, lighting a smoke. "Looks like it."


	6. Holding On

**Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone for the reviews and adds! I'm glad you all like this story so much and I'm glad you all like my OC's, especially Jesse, because as likeable as he is now, he's not going to seem so great later in the story (just a little hint of what's to come)! Someone asked where I get my story titles and I have to be honest some of them (Heart-Shaped Box) come from songs. This one, Oklahoma Moon, actually came from a Nora Roberts novel that was titled Carolina Moon. So, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Keep holding on  
Cause you know we'll make it through  
We'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
Cause you know I'm here for you  
I'm here for you  
-Avril Lavigne_

* * *

AJ awoke the next morning to the smell of freshly cut grass. She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes. It had been so muggy the night before; she had cracked the window beside her bed before falling asleep. She looked out it now to see Ponyboy mowing her backyard. She lowered the window the rest of the way down and leaned out.

"Hey!" She called out to him. He didn't hear over the sound of the mower.

AJ sighed and looked around. She grabbed one of her old shoes and tossed it across the small yard at her friend. It hit Pony between his shoulder blades and he whipped around, like he half expected a fight. AJ waved wildly at him and he looked visably relieved. He shut the mower off, scooped up her shoes, and jogged over to her.

"What was that for?" He asked once he reached her. He handed her the sneaker and AJ grinned.

"Had to get your attention somehow, didn't I?" She replied and he grinned in spite of himself.

"Guess so…so, how did your date go last night?" He asked. She grinned again and leaned against her windowsill.

"It was really good." She told him. "I like Jesse a lot."

"What about Steve?" Ponyboy asked quietly. AJ raised her brows.

"What about him?"

"I thought you liked him."

AJ sighed. "I do…_did_. It's just, you know, he just see's me as a kid and Jesse…Jesse see's me like a girlfriend. I can't spend my life sitting around waiting for Steve to notice me."

Pony nodded. "I guess that's true." He wiped some sweat from his forehead and AJ raised her brows at him again.

"Why're you mowing our lawn?" She asked.

"Ms. Nora came over this morning before she left for work and said she'd give me ten dollars if your yard was mowed when she got home. How could I pass that up?"

"Right." AJ nodded. "Got it. Well, how about I get dressed and bring you out some lemonade? You wanna take a quick breather on our porch?"

He nodded. "That'd be good."

"All right." AJ got up and Pony headed around to the front porch. She quickly threw on a pair of old cutoffs and a Will Rogers High School t-shirt that had belonged to Alice.

She went into the kitchen, wear Amy was eating a bowl of cereal, her nose stuck in some thick book. AJ pulled on her ponytail and Amy shot her a dirty look.

"What are you doing?" She asked her big sister.

"I'm getting a glass of lemonade for Ponyboy." AJ told her, grabbing the pitcher out of the refrigerator. "That a problem for you, shrimp?"

Amy didn't answer and AJ turned around to look at her. She was playing in her cereal, stirring her Cheerio's around and around.

"What's the matter with you?" AJ asked. Amy shrugged and took a bite.

"Nothing." She answered. AJ rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She quickly filled a glass for Pony and one for herself. "I'll be outside with Pony."

"Here." She found her friend taking a break in the shade of the front porch swing. He took the glass gratefully and gulped half of it in one long drink.

"Thanks." He said. "Glory, I was thirsty."

"I'll say." AJ took a sip of her own and sat down beside him. "And just so you know, you smell to high heaven."

Pony grinned. "Sorry. Listen, I'm nearly done with your yard. How about I finish up, go get a shower, and then we can hang out for awhile?"

AJ grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

She carried her lemonade back in the house and decided to grab something to eat before she and Pony did whatever it was they were gonna do. She was just taking a big bit of cereal when the phone rang.

"'Lo?" She answered it around her mouthful.

"Um…is AJ there?" A male voice asked. She swallowed her bite.

"This is she."

"Oh, hey, it's Jesse."

"Oh! Hi." She said. "Sorry about that, I had my mouth full of cereal."

He laughed. "It's okay." He paused. "So…um, what're you doing today?"

"I think I'm gonna do something with Ponyboy. How come?"

"Well, I just wondered if you wanted to do something. You know, with me."

"Well, I actually kinda promised Pony that we'd hang out today." AJ told him. "We haven't done anything together in awhile."

Jesse was quiet for a few seconds. "It's all right." He said, but his voice sounded kind of strange to AJ. "You wanna hang with your friend. I get it."

"Yeah…but maybe we could do something tomorrow?" AJ asked him.

"Maybe." Jesse said. "Well, I better go, since you're busy."

"Oh, okay." AJ replied. "Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." He said. "Bye."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone, kinda wondering why he had seemed so short. She had already made plans with Pony, but he Jesse was almost acting as though he expected her to break them. She shook her head and pushed the thoughts aside. She could no longer hear the mower, so she figured Pony was done with the yard.

AJ quickly finished her cereal and headed back to her bedroom and ran a brush through her hair, pulling it back into a low ponytail. She went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. When she was as ready as she was going to get, she flopped down on the couch and flipped on the TV just in time to catch the tail end of Saturday morning cartoons. Whiskers Meowington jumped up into her lap and she nuzzled her face into his fur.

This was the Pony found her when he came in the front door. He grinned at the sight of his best friend, snuggling her cat and watching cartoons.

"Quick Draw McGraw, huh?" He asked, sitting down in the old armchair.

"You love it." AJ told him.

"Nah, I'm more personally fond of The Jetsons myself." He said. "So, we gonna lay around here watching TV all day or do you wanna do something?"

AJ pushed Whiskers from her lap and stood up. The two of them quickly decided to walk down to the movie house and see what was playing. One of the things that Pony and AJ had in common was that they both preferred total silence while watching a movie. This is why they usually went together; no one else understood how to actually_ experience_ a movie like they did.

When they got there, they decided to see 'Penelope', Ponyboy having a major liking for Natalie Wood. AJ thought that her co-star, Ian Bannen, was easy on the eyes as well. It was a comedy about a bored housewife who decided to rob her own husband's bank.

When the film was over, the two of them headed back out into the lobby. AJ looked at her watch, it was only a little after one.

"Would it be really crazy if we saw another one?" AJ asked. Pony grinned.

"Yeah, but I won't tell if you won't."

So they paid their money and saw another movie, this time The Silencers, a spy mystery.

AJ was enjoying herself. She still felt a little guilty, like she had blown Jesse off, but she always had so much fun with Ponyboy, that she tried to ignore that feeling. After the second movie was over, the two of them walked down to The Dingo to get something to eat.

The Dingo was a pretty rough place, Darry or Nora either one really liked any of them to hang out in there, especially after that girl was shot, but Pony and AJ figured what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. They both ordered chocolate shakes and split an order of onion rings.

"So, did you finish that book for English?" Pony asked after they placed their order.

"What book is that?" AJ asked him. He rolled his eyes.

"Great Expectations? We've been reading it for two weeks, AJ." He told her.

"Oh, that British one?" She shrugged. "I caught the movie on Masterpiece Theater the other night."

"Mr. Syme said stuff about it might be on the final." Pony said, raising his eyebrow. AJ was unimpressed.

"Mr. Syme says_ everything_ might be on the final." She retorted. "That's just his way of scaring us into studying."

Pony digested this as the waitress brought their order over. "I'll lend you my notes on it." He said finally. "Just in case."

AJ grinned and shook her head; schoolwork was the most important thing in Pony's life.

After they were done eating, they decided to walk over to the DX and see what Soda and Steve were up to. It was after 4:00 by then, and almost time for the two boys to be getting off work.

"Hello!" AJ burst through the front door of the gas station, startling Steve who was supposed to be working the counter, but was actually reading a car magazine and drinking a Coke.

"Crap!" Steve had spilled some of his soda when he had jumped. "Now my magazine's all sticky!"

"What're you two up to?" Soda asked, coming out of the back room, while Steve recovered from the slight shock.

"Nothin'." Pony told him, trying not to laugh at Steve. "We were coming to see what you guys were doing."

"AJ!" Steve was still pissed. "You gonna buy me another Coke after you made me spill this one?"

"Yeah." AJ handed him the money. "Sorry about that."

Steve tossed her a roll of paper towels. "You get to help me clean it up." He told her. She flushed at the thought of actually doing something with him, and then chided herself. She was dating Jesse now, remember?

By the time they finished getting the sticky Coke off the counter, it was time for Steve and Sodapop to clock out. The four of them walked down the sidewalk together. When they reached the old lot, AJ spotted something lying on the ground.

"What's that?" She asked. Steve scooped it up and she saw it was Johnny's jeans jacket.

"Looks like Johnnycake forgot his jacket." Steve said. He went to sling it over his shoulder, and then noticed something on the collar. "What's this stain on it?"

AJ looked at the rust colored stain for a few seconds, and then her eyes locked with Steve's. "I think its blood." She said in a shaky voice.

"There's more of it here on the ground." Soda said. The four of them immediately began looking around for Johnny. AJ spotted him first, lying in a heap on the other side of the lot.

"He's over there!" She said.

They all sprinted towards him. Steve got there first. AJ, thanks to her short legs, was the last one to reach him. She felt bile rise in her throat as she looked at their beaten and bloody friend. His face was all cut up and AJ suddenly felt like crying. Who would do this to sweet Johnny Cade, who never hurt a fly?


	7. Not Alone

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews and adds! They just make my day!**

* * *

_You're not alone, together we stand  
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand  
When it gets cold and it feels like the end  
There's no place to go, you know I won't give in  
-Avril Lavigne_

* * *

AJ paced worriedly back and forth across her living room floor, while her mother did the best she could to clean Johnny up.

After finding him, Soda and Steve had started to carry him to the Curtis', but Nora, coming outside to see what all the commotion was about, had insisted they bring him into her house.

It wasn't long before the rest of their little gang had shown up. Dally was angrily puffing on a cigarette, muttering curses under his breath. Steve and Soda were sitting on the living room floor, anxiously watching Nora clean Johnny's wounds. Amy was sitting in the arm chair, with Ponyboy beside her. From the glances she kept stealing at him, AJ suddenly had an idea of who it was that Amy had a crush on.

Two-Bit was also sitting on the floor; his knees drew up to his chin, looking much younger than his seventeen years. And Darry, when he had arrived, pulled AJ into the kitchen.

"Did he say who did this?" He asked her quietly.

"Just some Soc's in a blue Mustang." She replied.

"Did they pull a knife on him or something?"

"He said….that one of the guys was wearing a lot of rings."

Darry swore and AJ bit her lip. "Look, can you call Brandon and see if him and Tim can head over here?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I can, but why?"

He shook his head. "They need to know that their boys should be on the lookout…just in case."

AJ nodded and again and grabbed the phone as Darry headed back out into the front room. She dialed her sister's number and waited for someone to answer.

"Hello?" Alice's voice sounded from the other end of the line.

"Hey, Ally, it's me." AJ didn't even have to tell her name.

"Hey, AJ!" Alice said. "Guess what? I got the cutest little crib set for the baby today, you should come over and see it, its got little duckies all over it, and-."

"Alice," AJ cut her big sister off. "I need to talk to Brandon. Is he there?"

"Oh…um, yeah. Hang on." Alice replied, confusion coloring her voice. "AJ, what's going on?"

"He'll explain it; please I just need to talk to him."

She waited in silence during the few seconds it took Brandon to get to the phone. "AJ?" He said as soon as he picked it up. "What's going on, girl? You've got Ally scared to death."

"Brandon, you and Tim need to get over here now." She told him quickly. "Some Soc's jumped Johnny Cade and he's…Bran, he's pretty bad. Darry wants to talk to y'all."

"Well, fuck." Brandon swore. "All right, let me call Shepard. We'll be there pretty soon. The rest of you all right?"

"Yeah, no one else was with him. We found him in the lot; Steve and Sodapop carried him here. Mama's cleaning him up right now." She said.

"Okay, well, we'll be there in a few, all right?"

"Okay." She said and they hung up. She slipped quietly back into the living room.

Johnny was still out of it and Nora was sewing his cheek up. Everyone else looked a little green.

"They're on their way now." She told Darry, who simply nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. She sat down on the floor in between Steve and Soda, and for once, her mind wasn't on the fact that Steve sat so close to her that they were practically touching. Her thoughts were only for her friend and how badly he was hurt.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the others had shown up. Besides Tim and Brandon, Curly and Jesse were both there, along with Alice.

"Jesus Christ." Were the first words out of Tim's mouth when he laid eyes on Johnny's cut up face. "Did they pull a blade on him?"

"Rings." Ponyboy said, his voice sounding slightly strangled. "He said that one of them was wearing a bunch of rings."

"I wanted to take him to the hospital, but of course, he wouldn't hear of it." Nora looked up, her gaze going back and forth between Tim, Brandon, and Darry. "You boys take your gang talk somewhere else for now, you hear? This boy needs rest. Amy," She looked at her youngest. "Go fetch me some of your father's old pajamas and a pillow and some blankets."

Amy nodded and headed back to their hall closet, where their spare blankets and some of their father's old clothes were stored. AJ and Alice followed the guys outside.

"What the hell happened?" Brandon asked once they were all seated on the front porch.

Jesse sat down beside AJ in the swing and draped his arm around her. She smiled up at him sadly and rested her head against his shoulder. His comfort was just what she needed as she helped Soda, Steve, and Pony tell how they had found Johnny and the things he had told them.

"He said that four of them jumped him." Steve was saying. "They were in a blue Mustang."

"This just keeps getting worse." Tim said. "A few of them started hassling Curly and Angel the day before yesterday."

"Angel's just a kid!" Soda spoke up. "What is she, all of twelve?"

"Thirteen now." Curly replied. "She just turned thirteen last month. We was walking back from the Dime Store. She likes to go in there and buy make-up 'cause it's so cheap, and about three of them were following us in this Caddie. Lucky I had my blade on me, and they left in a hurry after I flipped it out, but I don't know what they woulda done if I hadn't been carrying."

Brandon sighed and wrapped his arm around Alice's waist. "I think we oughta stick together on this; and I definitely think that you girls best not be walking alone." His eyes moved from Alice to AJ to Amy, who had slipped out on the porch.

"That means no more lone trips down to the library, Ames." AJ said. Amy got a stubborn set to her lips.

"But what am I supposed to do?" She asked.

"You tell one of us." Steve spoke up. "And we'll drive you down there, okay? Same thing for you, AJ. You and Pony don't be walking all over Tulsa anymore. Got it?"

AJ opened her mouth to tell Steve that she didn't have any plans to be, but Jesse spoke before her.

"I'll take car of AJ." He said, looking around at the others. "Y'all don't gotta worry about her."

"Good deal." Darry said. He stretched. "Well, I gotta work in the morning, so I'm goin' home." He looked at his brothers. "Y'all comin'?"

Sodapop and Pony followed Darry home and Dally stood up too. "I'm goin' down to Buck's for awhile." He said. Two-Bit, who had been abnormally quiet, got up.

"I'm coming with you, Dal." He said. He looked over at Steve. "What about you, buddy? What are you up to?"

"I'm having dinner at Evie's." Steve said. "I guess I better get over there."

Tim and Curly went home too, and Brandon, Alice, and Amy went back inside. Jesse and AJ were alone on the porch.

"I'm glad you weren't hurt." He said after a few minutes.

"Me too." AJ told him. "I just feel so bad about Johnny. Me and Ponyboy should've invited him to come with us, but we just…" She trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

"Wanted to be alone?" Jesse supplied and AJ looked up at him in surprise.

"What? No…things aren't like that between Pony and me." She studied his face. "He's like my brother or something…we're just friends, Jesse."

"Are you sure?" Jesse asked. His voice wasn't angry, it just sounded hurt. "Because I want you to be my girl, AJ, but if you'd rather be with another guy-."

"No!" She cut him off. "I like _you_. Pony and I are just friends, I promise."

Jesse smiled and brought his mouth to hers. "That's what I wanna hear." He said when their kiss broke.

"So…are we like, boyfriend and girlfriend now?" She asked, smiling coyly up at him.

He answered her with another kiss.

* * *

**Author's Note: I just wanna say that I know Jesse's seems all nicey nice now, but that won't last and since this is AJ's first real realtionship, she's going to be a bit slow on the uptake. This is a Steve romance, I just want it to be realistic and people don't fall in love overnight. Well, not normally anyway.**


	8. She's Having A Baby! Part One

**A/N- Sorry its been so long, peeps. I had court yesterday (ugh) and then today, I had to ride into St. Louis with my Dad. Two and a half hours on the back of his motorcycle? Not overly comfortable, but with my gas hog SUV, it was worth it. Oh! We were coming home, south on I255 and I totally saw a sign that was all like '399 miles to Tulsa' and I was like "Holy crap, lets go see some greasers!" and my Dad was like "What the heck are you talking about?". Hilarious.**

* * *

_To enter life by way of the vagina is as good a way as any._

_-Henry Miller_

* * *

Johnny had been laid up on the Adare's sofa for a week and a half. He had the TV, a mountain of books, and a stack of magazines.

He was bored out of his freaking mind.

Daytime TV scared him. It was too much. When he began learning the names of all the characters on As the World Turns, he decided enough was enough.

"I want off this couch." He told AJ and Ponyboy. They were sitting side by side on the floor, doing homework. AJ looked up at him in surprise. Johnny hardly ever spoke sharply to anyone.

"What do you wanna do?" She asked. He shrugged.

"I dunno…something other than stare at these walls." He told them.

"You could read some more of your book." Pony handed it to him. Johnny sighed and took it. He was about a fourth of the way through AJ's battered copy of The Magician's Nephew. It was pretty good and he liked it so far, but he was just bored.

Unbeknownst to the three of them, their afternoon was about to get a whole lot more exciting.

Johnny was just starting to get into the book when the telephone rang. AJ stood, brushed her skirt off, and went to answer it.

"Hello?"

"AJ?" It was her mother.

"Hi, Mama." She said, leaning against the counter. "What's up?"

"Alice is in labor."

It was then that AJ could hear the excitement in her mother's voice.

"Oh my God, for how long?"

"Well, she just got here, but she said she's been "feeling funny" since about noon. Dr. Holstein let me off my shift early, so I could be with her. You think one of the boys could bring y'all down here?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'll get somebody." AJ reassured her, feeling slightly dazed. "Hey, is it all right if Johnnycakes comes too? He's going stir crazy here."

"Yeah, it's fine." Nora said. "Hurry, all right? Brandon's going crazy in the waiting room and poor Tim isn't much of a help. He just looks lost."

"Yeah, we'll be there soon." She hung up and rushed back into the living room.

"Alice's is having the baby!" She burst out. Both Pony and Johnny looked up at her.

"Right now?" Pony squeaked.

"Yeah, and Mama wants us to head down there and try and keep Brandon calm."

"Me too?" Johnny asked hopefully.

"You too." AJ told him. "I'm gonna call Two-Bit and see if he'll drive us. Pony, can you go drag Amy out of her lair, please?"

"Yeah." He said hopping up, homework forgotten.

In less than ten minutes, the four of them were piling into Two-Bit's car.

"Can we swing by the DX real quick?" Pony asked. "I wanna let Soda know where I am."

"Sure thing, kid." Two-Bit swung a right and headed towards the gas station.

They waited in the car for Pony, who hurried in and then back out.

"Soda and Steve are gonna head down too, after their shift." Pony said, climbing back into the backseat with AJ and Amy.

It didn't take them very long to get to the hospital and up to the maternity ward. Brandon was pacing back and forth, retracing the same steps around and around the room, while Tim was stretched out across three chairs, flipping idly through a past issue of LIFE magazine.

Brandon stopped walking when he saw his sisters-in-law. "They won't let me in with her!" He said. "The nurse said it was inappropriate or some bullshit like that!"

"Bran…you didn't know you weren't allowed in there?" AJ asked quietly. She knew that he and Alice had gone over this already.

"He knows." Tim looked up from his magazine. "God, hospitals give me the creeps, man. I'm just waiting for some dead body to roll by and cough malaria in my face."

"Yeah, because malaria runs rampid in the wilds of Oklahoma." Two-Bit said, plopping down in a chair. Amy snorted and rolled her eyes, pulling out the thick book that she had brought along.

"This is the maternity wing." Pony explained, enunciating each word like he was talking to a preschooler. "They're not gonna be rolling any dead bodies through here."

Tim raised his eyebrows at Pony and went back to the magazine. AJ sat down and picked up one of her own. Brandon continued to pace.

Over the next hour and a half, Jesse showed up, along with Steve and Sodapop.

"I hear someone's having a baby!" Soda all but bounced into the waiting room, still dirty and greasy from work. Steve slouched in after him.

"Oh God," Tim looked at Soda. "Who the hell let Mary Sunshine in here?"

Soda flipped him the finger and dropped into the seat beside AJ. "So, you're about to become an Aunt…you excited?"

AJ nodded. "Yeah…I can't wait."

"Yeah, well, we'll be waiting awhile." Amy spoke up. "It usually takes hours to deliver a baby."

AJ looked over at her. "How do you know?"

Amy shot her older sister a despairing look. "I read, Abigail."

"I read!" AJ defended herself. "And don't call me Abigail!"

"Trashy romances and Seventeen magazine doesn't count as reading." Amy replied, dropping her gaze back to her book.

"Well, I'm sorry not all of us have an IQ of sixty gazillion." AJ muttered. Jesse squeezed her hand.

"I like you just the way you are." He told her and she smiled up at him.

On the other side of the room, Steve made a face. He hadn't even wanted to come, not really, but Soda needed a ride. He liked Alice and Brandon and all, but he didn't want to spend his evening sitting in the waiting room watching AJ and Jesse make googly eyes at one another. Gross.

Amy was right; they sat there for a long time. After awhile, Tim stood up.

"I'm going to the cafeteria; I gotta eat something." He said.

His eyes raked over the room. Steve was dozing in his seat; Brandon was back to pacing; Johnny and Ponyboy were playing hangman; Soda was flipping through a children's Bible book; Amy was still reading her own book; Two-Bit was trying to crave his name in the wooden arm of a chair; and AJ and Jesse were talking quietly.

"Anyone wanna go with me?" He asked.

"We will." Jesse stood up and pulled AJ to her feet. She looked uncertain.

"I don't know, maybe I should stay here-." She started.

"It'll be fine." Jesse cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Come on."

Soda listened to the exchange quietly. It was weird, he thought, he had never noticed how pushy Jesse Danvers was. He sat back in his seat, silently vowing to keep an eye on this.


	9. She's Having A Baby! Part Two

_Isn't she lovely  
Isn't she wonderful  
Isn't she precious  
Less than one minute old  
-Stevie Wonder_

* * *

AJ peered down into the tiny face of her newborn niece.

"She's gorgeous." She breathed, glancing up at her big sister. Alice was lying in the hospital bed looking worn out, but happy. Brandon was sitting in the chair beside her bed, looking slightly dazed at the fact that he now had a daughter. "What're y'all gonna call her?"

"Kimberly." Alice said. "Kimberly Anita."

"Hello, little Kimberly." AJ cooed, looking down at the baby again.

"I wanna hold her!" Amy said, looking over AJ's shoulder.

AJ gently transferred the infant from her own arms, into her mother's, so that Nora could help Amy hold her. AJ sat down in the other armchair by Alice's bed. She laid her head against Brandon's shoulder.

"Congratulations, Daddy." She told him. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks." Brandon replied.

There was a knock on the door and everyone looked up as Tim stepped into the room.

"Look at that." He said, looking over Amy's shoulder at baby Kimberly. He punched Brandon's shoulder in a brotherly sort of way. "Congratulations, man."

"Thanks." Brandon smiled sheepishly. "I'm glad you could stop by."

Tim waved his hand. "Yeah, well Angel and Curly wanted to come too, but I didn't think that Alice was up to it. You know how those two are."

AJ hid a grin; Tim's younger brother and sister's fights made gang rumbles look tame.

"Well," Nora stood up. "I guess I better be getting these girls home for supper."

"All right, Mama." Alice said. She kissed her mother and her two younger sisters. "I'll see y'all tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." AJ and Amy both hugged Brandon too. "See you tomorrow."

As soon as they got home, Nora went in to lie down, Amy went to her room, and AJ slipped next door.

"Hey." She said, walking into the Curtis' living room. Ponyboy looked up from the book he was reading. Johnny, who had gone home with them, was dozing on the couch.

"Hey!" He said, struggling to sit up. "How's the baby? What did they name her?"

"Kimberly." AJ answered. She sat down in an armchair. "She's just beautiful."

"How's Alice?" Soda asked as he walked into the room. There was a slight twist to his lips and AJ knew it was because he had never quite gotten over her sister.

"She's fine." She answered. "And Brandon's proud as punch."

Pony laughed. "I bet he is. Steve's gonna take us to see them tomorrow."

"What's Steve gonna do?" Steve asked, as he walked through the front door. "Oh, hey, AJ."

"Hi." She answered. "And quit referring to yourself in third person, it sounds arrogant."

He looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Never mind. So, you're taking everyone to see the baby tomorrow?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Just Soda, Pony, and Johnny." He told her. "You and Ames wanna ride along, you can."

"Thanks." She said. "Well, I'm gonna go home and call Jesse. He'll get antsy if I don't."

"So he tells you what to do now?" Steve asked in a snotty voice. AJ glared at him.

"Well, he is my boyfriend." She answered. Soda rolled his eyes.

"That don't mean he should run your life, AJ." He told her. She sighed.

"I really don't think its any of your business." She snapped. She looked at Pony and Johnny. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She said, and then swept out without another word.

"So you noticed it too, huh?" Steve asked Soda quietly once AJ was gone and they were in the kitchen away from Johnny and Ponyboy. "The way he bosses her around?"

"Yeah." Soda shook his head. "I know she's never had a boyfriend before, but…" He trailed off unsure of what to say. "Let's just keep an eye on it, all right?"

Steve nodded his agreement.

AJ marched across the yard angrily. Who did Soda and Steve think they were? Especially Steve! He'd never given her a second look and now that she finally had someone of her own, he thought he could just stick his nose in? AJ didn't think so!

Once she was in the house, she called Jesse.

"Hey." She said when he came to the phone. "It's AJ."

"Oh, hey, baby." He said. "How are Alice and the baby?"

"They're good." She replied. "Her name's Kimberly."

"That's a nice name." He said. "Hey…I was thinking…how would you feel if I came by and got you in a few minutes? We could drive around for a bit."

AJ looked at the clock it was already after nine and she knew her mother wouldn't let her go out. "I don't know…" She said. "My Mom…"

"You could sneak out." He suggested. "Unless you just don't wanna see me."

"I do!" She protested. "All right…be here in about fifteen minutes, okay?"

"Good deal." He said before hanging up. AJ felt a flush of nervous excitement. She was sneaking out for the first time!


	10. Feels Like the First Time

**Author's Note: Well, its been awhile, hasn't it? I'm sorry! I've been super busy! My kids came back from their Dad's with RINGWORM (ew!) and it's been taking forever to clear up, then Elijah (my son) got the stomach flu from pre-school and gave it to the rest of us (Sadly, I can no longer boast that I'm vomit free since '03), and now I have a sinus infection. But I'm (slowly) getting better and feeling more like writing! So anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as AJ and Jesse get a little more serious and Steve begins to realize how jealous he really is.**

* * *

_I sneaked into his car's cracked leather seat  
The smell of gasoline in the summer heat  
Boy, we're going way too fast  
It's all too sweet to last  
My first time  
Hard to explain  
Rush of blood  
Oh  
And a little bit of pain_

_On a cloudy night, it's more common than you think  
He's my first mistake_

_-Vanessa Carlton_

* * *

Steve sighed in contentment. He loved the way Evie kissed his neck, just under his earlobe. Her loved how soft her skin was and how she moaned as he slid his hand under her skirt.

Things were just starting to get interesting between them when Steve happened to look up and out the passenger side window. That's when he saw the green GTO, and through the window fog, he could just make out a blonde head.

Inside the other car, AJ leaned her head back against the window as Jesse kissed her and slid his fingers under her bra. She was nervous, never having gone this far with a boy before. It felt nice, but she was still afraid.

"What's the matter?" Evie asked, raising her head. She looked at Steve. "Why'd you stop?"

"I think that's AJ in that car over there." He said. She scrunched up her nose.

"AJ? With who?"

"Jesse Danvers." He answered. Evie smirked.

"Oh. Well, it's about time that girl got herself some action and stopped trailing after you like a love sick puppy." She said. "Come on baby, things were just getting heated up."

She pulled his head down and began to kiss him again, but Steve couldn't seem to get back into it. All he could think abut was Jesse and AJ doing the same things him and Evie were.

"What's wrong with you?" Evie asked after about ten minutes of distracted kissing. She followed his line of sight and gave a frustrated sigh. "Why do you care what the hell they're doing over there?"

"I don't!" He protested. Evie snorted.

"Coulda fooled me." She said. She sat up in her seat. "If you're so worried about AJ Adare, maybe you can take_ her_ out next time."

Steve realized he was quickly losing control. "Evie, baby-." He started, but she cut him off.

"Take me home, Steve."

AJ sat up in the seat as another car's headlights washed over them. She looked up in time to see the taillights of an Oldsmobile disappear. Could it have been…? She didn't have time to wonder about it as Jesse pulled her down for another kiss.

His mouth moved down her neck, to the opening of her shirt. "Can I?" He asked and she nodded and helped him unbutton her top and slid it off. His hands snaked around her back and began working on her bra.

AJ had never been topless in front of a boy before and she felt her face heating up at Jesse stared at her breasts.

"You're so beautiful." He said to her and she giggled as he moved his mouth down her chest. She gasped at little when his fingers began playing with the lace edge of her panties, but it didn't take her long to relax.

To be honest the whole ordeal didn't take very long and AJ didn't really see what the big deal was. It just seemed like a lot of rubbing to her, but Jesse seemed to enjoy himself.

An hour later, Jesse was dropping her off at the end of her driveway. As AJ crept through the door, she had to fight Whiskers from running outside. She scooped him up and carried him back to her room. She couldn't wait to talk to Alice tomorrow, to tell her she had finally done the deed.

"You and Jesse did what?" Alice hissed at her the next afternoon.

"We…had sex." AJ answered uncertainly. She didn't know why her sister was freaking out.

"Were you careful?" Alice asked and AJ nodded.

"Of course."

Alice rested her head back against her pillow. "AJ, I know you're growing up and I know you like Jesse, but please be careful. As much as I love Brandon and Kimmy, I don't want you in this situation."

AJ waved her hand. "Ally, I'm not gonna get pregnant." She said, thankful that Brandon had taken the guys down to the nursery to see the baby and she and Alice were alone.

"That's what I thought." Alice told her. She reached out and took her little sister's hand. "You just never know."


	11. Sweet Summertime

_Temperature says 93  
Down at the Deposit and Guarantee  
But that swimmin' hole  
It's nice and cold  
Bikini bottoms underneath  
But the boys heart still skip a beat  
When them girls shimmy off  
Them old cut-offs.  
And it's two bare feet on the dashboard  
Young love and an old Ford  
Cheap shades, and a tattoo, and Yoohoo bottle on the floorboard  
Perfect song on the radio  
Sing along because it's one we know  
It's a smile, it's a kiss  
It's a sip of wine, it's summertime  
Sweet summertime._

_-Kenny Chesney_

* * *

**Six Weeks Later-**

The summer of 1966 was one of the hottest on record, and this particular mid-July day was no different.

"You know how at the end of the school year, I always say that I love summer?" AJ was sprawled out on the Curtis' front steps with Pony and Johnny.

"What's not to love?" Johnny asked. "It's warm outside, there's no school, and it stays light till 10:00."

"I_ like_ school." Pony said and AJ chucked her carton of cigarettes at him.

"That's because you're a dink." She said and Johnny laughed. "Anyway, I've changed my mind. I hate summer."

"That's because its 107 asshole degrees out here." Steve had come out onto the porch, followed closely by Soda. Neither of them were wearing shirts and both had little rivers of sweat running down their chests. AJ tried not to stare.

"Me and Stevie are going swimmin'." He said. "You three wanna go?"

"Hell yes!" AJ jumped up. "Let me go get my suit on." She started down the steps, and then turned. "Hey, is okay if I see if Amy wants to come?"

"Sure." Soda said.

AJ hurried across their yard into her own trying not to feel guilty. She had promised Jesse the day before that she wouldn't spend a lot of alone time with the guys, but what was she supposed to do? It was hot out and she wanted to go swimming.

Things were going fairly well on the Jesse front, and AJ enjoyed having a steady boyfriend. Okay, sometimes he was a little bossy, but she knew that was only because he loved her and was looking out for her.

"Hey, Ames," She stuck her head in her little sister's room. Amy, for once, was reading a book or working on a science project. Instead, she was laying flat on her floor in her t-shirt and underwear, her box fan pointed directly on her.

"What?" She asked, without even opening her eyes.

"We're going swimming, you wanna go?"

Amy jumped up. For an asthmatic twelve-year-old, she moved pretty fast. "Oh my God, _yes_." She said.

"Cool, be ready in five minutes."

AJ headed down the hallway to her own room. She dug her swimsuit out of the bottom drawer and pulled it on. It was the same one she had worn the year before, but AJ hadn't realized how much she had grown since last summer. No way was she getting this thing on.

"Great." She muttered. "Now what?"

Then she had an idea and she ran, half naked, into her mother's room. Ms. Nora had a couple of swimsuits and AJ grabbed them out, hoping one would fit. One did all right; it was one that AJ had only ever seen her mother wearing in old pictures from before Alice was born. It was a two piece, something that AJ had never dared wear before, dark blue with tiny red and white polka dots.

AJ admired herself in her mother's vanity mirror. Her breasts and hips had filled out quite nicely, she thought, and she wondered if Steve would notice.

Immediately, she scolded herself. Who cares what Steve notices, she thought. Jesse is your boyfriend now, remember?

"AJ, you ready?" Amy called.

"Just a sec!" AJ pulled on a pair of old cutoffs and her rubber thong sandals.

When she met Amy in the front room, her sister did a double take. "Why're you wearing Mom's old bathing suit?" She asked. AJ shrugged.

"Mine doesn't fit anymore." She explained. "This was all I could find."

"Oh." Amy said. "Well, let's go before they leave without us."

In the Curtis' front yard, Steve was lugging a cooler full of Pepsi's to his car. He looked up when he heard Amy and AJ approaching and his eyes just about fell out of his skull. Jesus Christ on the cross, when had AJ gotten so…so…_hot_? He wondered to himself. Where the hell had those boobs come from?

"Good, you guys are back!" Soda dashed down the front steps. "Let's go!"

"Who's up front?" Steve asked, tearing his eyes from AJ.

Sodapop dropped his arm over her shoulder, and make no qualms about looking down at the well between her breasts. "Me and AJ are in the front." He said. AJ's face heated up a bit.

"You're a pig." She told him jokingly. "What would Sandy say?"

"She knows how pervy he can be." Steve said, sliding behind the wheel of his car. AJ sat in the middle, with Soda on her other side, while Pony, Johnny, and Amy squished together in the backseat. "She just doesn't care."

"Gross." AJ said. She flipped on the radio and a Beach Boys tune from a few summers back came on. "Whoo-hoo! I love this song!"

Steve drove to the outskirts of the city, to the swimming hole he and Soda had discovered years before. They preferred it to the public pools in town, because here, there were no Soc's to sneer at them while they swam.

Pony spread out an old quilt on the grass and he sat on it, with AJ beside him and Amy and Johnny on his other side. Soda and Steve had already made a beeline for the water.

"Is it cold?" AJ called out. Steve's curly head popped out from underneath the surface.

"No, it feels great! Come on!"

AJ stood and slid out of her cutoffs. "I'm going in." She said. "Y'all coming?"

"In a little bit." Pony told her. He looked over at Amy, who was making a clover chain, something he hadn't seen her do in a long time, and at Johnny, who appeared to be asleep. "I'm just gonna sit here for awhile."

AJ shrugged. "Suit yourself." She said and headed towards the water.

"You coming in?" Soda asked, shaking his hair from his face.

AJ nodded and stuck her big toe in the water. "You said it wasn't cold!" She said to Steve, who shrugged.

"Don't be a puss." He said. "Just get in already! You'll get used to it!"

AJ took a deep breath and pinched her nose, diving off the bank into the deep end of the cool water. She surfaced seconds later and tread water over to where Soda and Steve were.

"Not so bad, eh?" Soda asked her. She shook her head, pushing her wet bangs from her eyes.

"No, it feels good." She admitted.

"Told you." Steve smirked and she splashed him.

After a while, the other three joined them in the water and the six of them spent a fairly nice afternoon swimming. AJ didn't think about Jesse once, not until Steve pulled up in front of her house and she spotted him sitting on her front porch.

"He doesn't look too happy, does he?" Amy asked.

AJ shrugged. "Hey." She said when they reached him.

"Where were you?" He asked quietly. Amy raised her brows and went inside. Across the yard, she could see her friends making their way into the living room.

"Me and Amy went swimming with the guys." She said. "Why?"

"Do you have any idea how long I've been here waiting for you?"

"I'm sorry." She told him. "I just didn't think-."

"That's right." He cut her off. "You didn't think. You never think, AJ."

AJ put her hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"I thought I told you that I didn't want you hanging around with them anymore?"

AJ rolled her eyes. "Those are my friends." She told Jesse. "I'm not gonna stop hanging out with them just because you think I should-."

Slap!

AJ staggered backwards a little bit. She was dumbfounded for a second. Had he just hit her?

"Oh my God, AJ, I'm so sorry!" Jesse took her arm and pulled her closer to him. "I didn't mean too, you just had me so upset. I love you, baby."

"Its…its okay." AJ found herself telling him. "I know you didn't mean it."

She felt her gut twist, but ignored it. He hadn't hit her on purpose. It was an accident.

Right?


	12. Face Down

**Author's Note: This chapter deals with some serious subject matter, so you've been warned! Also, I'm kind of skimming through the summer so I can get to the good stuff quicker. This fic will continue through the events of the book and afterward. There may even be a sequel...**

**Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, I'm kind of picturing AJ to look like a young Reese Witherspoon. It didn't occur to me till the other night when I was watching Fear (again) and I was like "Hey! She's AJ!" So yeah, just wanted to throw that out there.**

* * *

_Cover up with makeup in the mirror  
Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again  
You cry alone and then he swears he loves you_

_Do you feel like a man when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_-Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_

* * *

**Three Weeks Later-**

AJ looked at the bruise starting to form on her arm. Jesse had grabbed her last night. He apologized right afterward, and he was so sweet when they had made love; AJ knew he loved her. She just made him angry sometimes.

She grabbed a baggy t-shirt and tossed it on, the sleeves just long enough to cover the mark. She knew if Pony or any of the others saw it, they wouldn't understand. Sodapop had already begun to make noises about how much time she spent with Jesse, and how little they saw of her anymore. Even Amy had noticed. Amy had noticed a lot more than that, too.

She had caught her sister changing her shirt the other day and had noticed a mark across her back. She asked AJ about, but AJ had just laughed and brushed it off. Amy was still worried though. She knew, statistically, that nearly thirty percent of teenage girls were in abusive relationships and she was almost certain that her sister was one of them, but she didn't know what to do.

"I'm going out with Jesse." AJ came into her little sister's room.

"Again?" Amy asked. "But…but you guys just went out last night!"

AJ shrugged and as she did, her shirt sleeve rose just a little, enough for Amy to see the beginnings of a bruise on her forearm. "Jesse likes for us to see each other as much as possible. He's says that's what a healthy relationship is all about."

Amy nodded, but she doubted that Jesse Danvers would know a healthy relationship if it danced naked in front of him. "All right." She said uncertainly.

"Mom's working late." AJ continued. "But Soda said you could come next door for dinner."

Amy nodded. She made up her mind right then to at least tell Ponyboy about her suspicions. He would no what to do.

She waited about fifteen minutes after Jesse had picked AJ up before heading next door.

"Hey, Ames." Soda was rubbing Darry's back. "How're you doing?"

"Fine." She said distractedly. "Is Ponyboy here?"

"He's in our bedroom." Soda told her. "Why?"

"I need to talk to him." Amy tried to sound nonchalant about it. "Is it okay if I go in?"

Soda shrugged, nodded. "Sure."

Amy knocked hesitantly on the bedroom door.

"It's open." Pony called out. Amy stuck her head in.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"

Ponyboy was surprised. Amy hardly ever even spoke to him anymore. "Sure. What's up?"

Amy came into the room, shutting the door behind her. She sat down on Pony and Soda's bed, facing him at his desk.

"It's about AJ." She said. "I'm worried about her."

Pony scrunched up his nose. "How come?"

Amy looked down at her hands and took a deep breath. "She spends all her free time with Jesse." She said. "We hardly ever see her anymore."

"Well, he's her boyfriend." Pony said.

"And…he's always bossing her around and stuff." Amy told him. "He gets really upset when she spends any time with you and Johnny, or the other guys. And…" She hesitated. "I've seen some…marks on her."

This got Ponyboy's attention. He turned to look at Amy fully now. "What do you mean, marks?" He asked.

"Bruises." She said simply. "On her arm and on her back."

"You think Jesse is hitting her?" Pony was shocked. He knew stuff like that happened, but he never pictured it happening to one of his friends.

Amy just nodded.

"Oh God." Pony closed his eyes. "What do we do?"

"Well, I was hoping you could maybe talk to her." Amy said. "You're her best friend, Pone."

Pony stood up. "I'll talk to her now."

"She's out with Jesse." Amy twisted her lips. "Just like she has been every other night this week."

Pony shook his head and sat back down. "Don't worry, all right? We'll get this figured out."

The next morning, Ponyboy sat quietly on his front porch, trying to work up the nerve to go and talk to AJ. Soda and Steve, who both had the day off, were playing cards with Two-Bit and Dally in the kitchen.

He figured he'd been sitting there for about ten minutes before he finally took a deep breath, pushed himself off the steps and walked next door. He left himself in, trying to keep Whiskers from running out.

"It's me." He said, trying to keep quiet, because Johnny was asleep on the couch. His wounds from the Soc's had healed up nicely, but he was still spending a lot of time sleeping on the Adare's sofa.

"Hey, Pony, what's up?" AJ came into the front room still in her pajamas.

Ponyboy rubbed his hand along the back of his head. "I came to talk to you, actually."

"What about?"

Pony sighed. "Can we go out on the porch maybe?" He looked at the hallway door, where Amy had appeared. She chewed her lip and nodded to him.

"Okay…" AJ looked confused. What was going on? She was surprised when Amy followed them out. "Amy, go away. Pony and I are having a private conversation."

"No," Pony said. "She needs to hear this."

"Hear what?"

"AJ, has Jesse been hitting you?" Pony asked in a rush.

AJ felt the blood drain from her face. How did he know? "Of course not!" She lied. "Jesse would never lay a hand on me! He loves me!"

Amy smirked. "Then what was that bruise I saw on your back?"

"I…I fell!"

"Yeah, right into Jesse's fist, I bet." Amy said. AJ whirled around to face her.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" She said heatedly. "Jesse loves me! Sometimes I do things that make him angry, but that's not his fault! Its mine!"

"Is that what he told you?" Pony asked incredibly. On an impulse, he grabbed her shirt sleeve and pulled it up. When he saw that angry finger marks there, he felt sick to his stomach.

"Come on!" He said, grabbing her hand.

"Stop, Pony!" She shouted, but he had a tight grip. He pulled her across the yard and into his own front door, with Amy close behind.

"What the heck are you guys doing?" Soda asked. "It sounds like a herd of elephants in here!"

"Show them your arm, AJ." Pony said. She shook her head, her eyes wide and fearful.

Soda looked between the three younger ones. "What's going on?" He asked. By this time, Steve, Dally, and Two-Bit had come into the front room as well.

"Show them!" Pony barked at her. She winced and lifted her sleeve.

There was a beat of silence when they guys saw the bruise.

"Did…Jesse do that to you?" Soda finally asked faintly. She nodded, her eyes filling with tears.

"It was an accident." She whispered. "Jesse loves me."

"Does he hit you?" Steve asked quietly, his blood starting to boil. "Does he, AJ?"

"Only when I mess up." She said.

Two-Bit closed his eyes. "And how many times have you "messed up" since you started dating him?"

She shrugged. "A…a few."

Dally cracked his knuckles. "That little son-of-a-bitch is gonna get it." He said and Steve nodded.

"He doesn't mean too!" AJ said. "Jesse loves me!"

"That's not love, Abigail!" Sodapop yelled at her. "Love doesn't hurt!"

"Where is he?" Steve asked.

"What?" AJ asked.

"Where is he right now?" He repeated.

"He's at Brandon and Allie's, but you can't-." He didn't even wait for her to finish, before he, Soda, and Dally were out the door and in his car.

"Oh shit." Two-Bit said. He grabbed his own car keys, and propelled Amy, Pony, and AJ outside. "We better follow them."

Jesse was outside with Brandon when Steve pulled up. He was out of the car in a flash, with Soda and Dally right behind him.

"What's going guys?" Brandon asked. Steve pushed passed him, not answering. He grabbed Jesse by his shirt collar and pulled him up.

"I bet it makes you feel like a big man, doesn't it? Beating around on a hundred pound girl?"

As soon as Two-Bit pulled to a stop behind Steve's car, AJ was running across the yard. She arrived just in time to see Steve smash his fist into Jesse's face.

"Stop!" She screamed. Brandon was trying to pull Steve off Jesse.

"What the hell's the matter with you, Randle?" He yelled.

"Look at her arm!" Steve yelled back, pointing to AJ. "Look and see what your little buddy did to her!"

Brandon looked at his sister-in-law. "AJ, what's he talking about?"

AJ shook her head, but Amy wasn't going to let it pass. "She's got marks on her arm and on her back from where he hits her!" She said.

Brandon's eyes widened. "What?"

Two-Bit and Ponyboy hauled AJ forward and Brandon lifted her sleeve. When he saw the marks there, he felt his stomach turn over. He looked at Jesse.

"Did you do this, you little son-of-a-bitch?" He asked.

By this time, Alice had come out on to their porch, with little Kimmy on her hip. "What is God's name is going on out here? Y'all woke Kim up from her nap!" She said angrily.

"Get out of my yard." Brandon said to Jesse, ignoring his wife. "If I ever see you around my family again, I'll kill you."


	13. White Horse

**Author's Note: Two chapters in one day? Look at me! Okay, I was probably only able to finish the last chapter this morning because my cat, Sookie, woke me up. She has this thing where she repeatedly attacks my butt at 5 in the AM. It sucks. Anyway, here's the next chapter, hope you guys enjoy! Oh, and this will be a real treat for all you Dally and Johnny girls out there, they're in this chapter A LOT.**

* * *

_Maybe I was naïve_

_Got lost in your eyes_

_And never really had a chance_

_My mistake_

_I didn't know how to be in love_

_You had to fight to have the upper hand_

_I had so many dreams about you and me_

_Stupid girl, I should've known_

_I'm not a princess_

_This ain't a fairytale_

_I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet_

_Lead her up the stairwell_

_This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town_

_I was a dreamer till you went and let me down_

_Now it's too late for you and your white horse_

_To come around_

_-Taylor Swift_

* * *

Dally was skulking the streets of Tulsa. Okay, so maybe he wasn't actually _skulking_, but he liked the way it sounded. If you have to be technical (and Dally didn't) he was walking the streets of Tulsa, looking for one Jesse Danvers. Stevie had gotten the first shot at him, but Brandon had pulled him off before Dallas got his turn, and he so desperately wanted one. Dally may have been a no good hoodlum in most people's books, but one thing he didn't abide by was hurting women or children. Only a lowlife scum would hurt a woman or a kid.

So Dally had made some excuse to slip away from the Curtis house to go looking for Jesse. It hadn't been hard to get away; everyone's attention had been focused on AJ. Ms. Nora, Darry, and Alice had all taken their turns jumping her ass, wanting to know why she didn't say something about this.

Dallas thought they should cut the kid a little slack. She was completely green. Okay, so he thought even a moron would know that a real man didn't show his love by using his fist, but AJ was young and her Dad had split years ago, before Dally had even come back from New York, so how was she to know how a girl is supposed to be treated?

He was outside The Dingo now; he leaned against the bricks and lit a cigarette, waiting for that little bastard to come along.

He didn't have to wait long. Dallas had just finished his smoke and was preparing to start another one when he saw Jesse pull up in his green GTO. Dally scoffed. The kid thought he was real hot shit in that car, claiming that he had stolen it off the streets in Oklahoma City, when Dally knew for a fact that his grandmother had bought it for him for his sixteenth birthday.

Jesse was alone as he stepped from his car. Dally was glad to see that Steve had done a real number on his face as he stepped from the shadows. He was sporting the beginnings of a spectacular black eye

"Hey Danvers!" He called out. Jesse paled slightly, but turned to face him. "You wanna hit somebody, why don't you hit me?"

Jesse sneered. "She brought it on herself. I told her to stop hanging around with you guys and she wouldn't listen."

The fact that he and the others were the source of Jesse's violence momentarily stunned Dallas. "Afraid one of us might've told her what a fucking, coward douchebag you really are?"

Jesse bristled at this, but Dally wasn't done. He wasn't stupid enough to make the first move, but he knew if he pissed Danvers of enough, he get his chance. "Come on, coward." He kept taunting. By now as fairly large crowd had drawn around them. "What, are you scared to take me on? Can't handle it because I'm not a girl?"

"I'll take you anytime, anywhere." Jesse told him. Dally grinned.

"Come on, then. I ain't got all goddamned night."

Jesse ran at him, but Dally was ready for him. He hit him with a swift uppercut to the jaw, but Jesse was back on his feet in no time. The fight went on for several minutes before Jesse flipped out his blade. Dally wasn't worried as he pulled out his own; he knew the cops would be there to arrest them both soon.

And he was right.

Back at the Adare household, AJ was laying on the floor with her head in Alice's lap. Brandon was holding the baby beside them. Johnny was on the couch, a little miffed that he had slept through all the excitement.

AJ was feeling drowsy. Now that her mother, sister, and Darry had all stopped yelling at her, she felt that deep down she always kinda knew that what Jesse was doing wasn't really love. Brandon loved Alice more than anything, and he never laid a finger on her.

She was just starting to drift off when Ponyboy walked in.

"Dally just called; he's been arrested again." He announced.

Nora rolled her eyes. "What did he do now?"

"He and Danvers got picked up at The Dingo for pulling blades on each other." Pony said. AJ was wide awake now. She sat up.

"Is Dally okay?" She asked.

Ponyboy waved his hand. "They're both fine. Dally'll probably only get sixty days since his was just in self defense. Everyone who saw it swears that Jesse pulled his blade first."

Brandon shook his head. "Its like I didn't know the kid at all. How can you hang around with someone for a year and not know them?"

Alice laid her hand on his leg. "None of us knew, baby."

A little while later, everyone decided to go on to bed. Brandon took Alice and Kimmy home, and Pony headed back to his house. Johnny made up his bed on the Adare's couch, but only after Nora insisted he stay the night.

AJ lay in her bed, unable to sleep, wondering how she had gotten herself into this mess. Jesse had seemed like such a nice guy; a great way to get over Steve. Steve…she let her mind wonder to the way he had defended her today. No guy had ever done that for her before. Well, now Dally had too, she thought. Not many girls could say that two good looking guys had defended her honor in one day.

She lay awake in her bed for a few more minutes, before deciding to go make herself a cup of cocoa. Okay, so it was ninety degrees outside, but cocoa always calmed her down.

When she got in the kitchen, she was a little surprised to see Johnny still awake. He was reading a Superman comic of Amy's by the light of the small table lamp beside the couch.

"Hey," He looked up at her in surprise. "I thought you were asleep."

"Nah," She said. "I'm too wired to sleep. I was gonna make myself some hot chocolate. You want some?"

"AJ, it's like ninety-five degrees outside."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you want some or not, smart ass?" Johnny grinned.

"Yeah."

He got up off the couch as she got the ingredients together. Johnny sat down at the table and plucked a banana out of the fruit bowl in the center of it.

"AJ, y'all know that I'm gonna have to go back to my house soon." He said, peeling it slowly. AJ sighed.

"Dammit, Johnny. I wish you would just stay here with us for good." She said, stirring their drink in the pot.

"Ms. Nora has enough on her plate already without me adding to it." Johnny said. He watched as AJ poured some cocoa into a mug and handed it to him.

"Oh yeah, like you're a real big problem." AJ rolled her eyes and sat down beside him.

"I'm an extra mouth to feed." He argued. "And besides…I mean, I gotta go home."

AJ bit her lip. She knew that Johnny harbored this hope that deep down his parents really cared for him and worried about him. She didn't understand why they didn't; how could anyone _not_ love Johnny? He was the sweetest boy she knew. If he wasn't like an older brother to her, she might even set her sights for him. Well, that and her slight crush on Steve.

It was almost as if Johnny had read her mind. "So…now that you're done with Jesse, you gonna make a play for Steve?" He asked, sipping his chocolate.

She blushed and bit her lip. "Am I that transparent?" She asked and he laughed softly.

"No…I just know you is all." He said. "It was pretty gallant of him to defend you like that, though." He said thoughtfully. "And you know he was nine shades of jealous when you and Jesse were together."

"He was not." AJ protested, but Johnny held up his hand.

"He was! Scout's honor."

AJ rolled her eyes. "You were never a Scout." She told him, playfully shoving his shoulder. He laughed again and AJ marveled at it. Two laughs from Johnny Cade in one night was nothing short of a miracle.

She stretched and yawned, realizing that she was sleepy now. "I think I'm gonna hit the hay." She told him. He nodded. He was getting tired himself.

Once AJ was back in bed, she was able to drift off easily. She dreamed, not for the first time, of Steve.


	14. Just to Say Thanks

**Author's Note: I've taken some liberties in this chapter. Having never been in jail or visited someone who was in jail, I don't know how they go about people having visitors, so I just made it the way I imagined it would be. I might be totally off.**

* * *

_I'm not afraid of anything  
I just need to know that I can breathe  
And I don't need much of anything  
But suddenly, suddenly  
I am small and the world is big  
All around me is fast moving  
Surrounded by so many things_

_-Avril Lavigne_

* * *

As it turned out, Ponyboy was right; the judge only gave Dallas sixty days. Two-Bit joked that it was because Dally had been before the same judge so many times, for different infractions, that the two were old friends.

Jesse, on the other hand, was sent to the reformatory down in Stillwater for a year. Tim said it was because Jesse had pulled the weapon first and apparently, this wasn't his first time pulling a blade on someone.

"He, uh, had some trouble with a girl in Okalahoma City." Tim had told them after it had all went down.

"That was information you could have shared with us before that psycho started dating my sister!" Alice said hotly.

"Well, hell, how was I supposed to know?" Tim asked. He propped his foot up on the coffee table and picked up one of Kimmy's pacifiers, turning it over and over in his hands.

"He was a member of your gang! Isn't it your job to know?" Alice shot back. She snatched the paccy out of Tim's hand. "And get your damned feet off my coffee table!"

"Well, next time I'll be sure and ask the guy for his romantic background history." Tim replied sarcastically, but he did take feet down.

That was three days ago and AJ was now contemplating doing something she knew her mother or her sister wouldn't approve of.

She wanted to visit Dally in jail.

Her problem was transportation, and her idea for that was something else she was working up her courage for. She was going to ask Steve to take her to the police station. Her excuse was going to be that he was her only option, as Two-Bit's car was broken down again.

She pulled on a pair of pale pink shorts and a pink and white striped tank-top. It was an outfit her Alice had bought for her, trying to encourage her to be more "girly". AJ had nearly puked on the spot, but then, Evie was as girly as could be and Steve liked her. She figured it couldn't hurt. She kept thinking back to Johnny had said the night Dally was arrested, how Steve had been so jealous while she was with Jesse.

Amy was over at her friend Hannah's house and Ponyboy and Johnny had gone to the movies, so AJ didn't have to tell anyone where she was going as she slid her feet into her sandals.

The mid-August heat lay on the city of Tulsa like a lid. AJ was sweating before she had walked a block. She was thankful had worn shorts.

She plodded the last few steps into the DX and reveled in the air conditioning once she was inside.

"Hey." Sodapop was behind the counter. "What're you doing here?"

AJ walked over to the coolers and pulled out a Pepsi, downing half of it in one drink. Soda waited patiently.

"What's up?" He tried again after AJ had cooled down a little. "I thought you went to the movies with Pony and Johnny."

She shook her head. "I didn't feel like it." She said. "And I'm here to talk to Steve, actually."

Soda raised his eyebrows. "Okaaay." He drugged the word out. "Well, that explains the outfit."

AJ rolled her eyes. "Soda, come on."

He grinned. "Fine. He's in the back, go on."

AJ sniffed. "Thank you."

Soda grinned again and turned to watch AJ as she walked past him. He shook his head at the way her hips swung in her snug shorts. Steve wouldn't know what hit him.

AJ pushed open the door that led to the garage. There were about five box fans going, but without A/C, it was sticky hot in there.

Steve was bent over the engine of a Bel-Air, his shirt discarded on the floor beside him, a hat pulled down low over his sweaty, curly locks. He looked so damned good that AJ felt a flash of heat that had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Hey." She said after a few seconds of staring. Steve looked up in surprise and grabbed a bandana out of his back pocket. He wiped his sweaty forehead with it.

"Hey." He said finally. "Whatcha doing here, kiddo?"

The endearment slipped out before he could stop it. In her short shorts and tank-top, she really looked like anything but a kid.

"I came to talk to you." She said.

"Oh yeah?" He straightened up completely and shut the hood of the car. "About what?"

"I need a favor." She started to chew her thumbnail, a habit she'd been trying to break since she was twelve. Steve sighed. It was too humid for this beating around the bush shit.

"We're circling the airport, AJ." He told her. "You wanna bring this baby in?"

"I want you to drive me down to the lockup to see Dally." She said in a rush.

Of all the things she could have said, this surprised him the most. "Why?" He asked.

AJ rolled her eyes. "Because I need to talk to him."

"I repeat: why?" Steve plunked down on a spare tire and took a drink of his lukewarm soda.

"Look, will you drive me or not?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Sure." He answered, draining the last of his drink. "When are you wanting to go?"

"Right now." She said. He blinked.

"Uh, AJ, you might not have noticed, but I'm at _work_."

She sighed. "Don't you have a lunch break coming up?"

"You want me to spend my lunch break driving you down to the county lockup to see Dallas?" His voice was incredulous. She sighed again.

"You know what; forget it. I'll take the freakin' bus." She started to turn to walk away, but Steve closed the space between them and grabbed her arm. She flinched and Steve mentally slapped himself. He dropped her arm.

"Sorry." He muttered. "Look, I'll take you down there, all right? Can you give me ten minutes?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Steve."

He shrugged. "Don't worry about. Why don't you go wait up front with Soda, huh? You'll melt in this heat."

"You're not." She said.

"I'm used to it." He replied. She smiled and nodded.

"All right." She said.

She stepped back into the air conditioned store and Soda looked up from his magazine at her.

"Girl, what're up to?" He asked. She hesitated in telling Sodapop, everyone knew he had a big mouth. "I'm not gonna say anything." He reassured her.

"Steve's gonna drive me down to see Dally." She said, hoping like hell he would keep his mouth shut. "Don't tell Darry, all right? He'll just tell my Mom and then she'll have my ass."

"I promise I won't." He said. "Why're you going to see Dally though?"

"I just…I wanna say thank you." She said. "For what he did."

"Did you thank Steve, too?" Soda asked. "Because he was the first one to knock Jesse on his ass, if you'll remember."

AJ opened her mouth and then closed it. She had yet to thank Steve for defending her. "I…I will." She said, and then shut up as Steve himself came through the door. To AJ's dismay, he had put his shirt back on.

"You ready?" He asked and she nodded. He looked at Soda.

"I shouldn't be gone for a real long time." He said. Soda nodded.

"I can handle it for awhile." He replied.

AJ followed Steve out to his car. She noticed, as she climbed in the passenger side, that he had towels lay over the seats.

"What's with the towels?" She asked.

"So the seats aren't too hot to sit on." He answered and she felt stupid.

"Oh."

He smiled. "Don't feel bad, Evie asked the same thing."

She nodded; of course he had to bring up his girlfriend. She didn't say anything, just looked out the window.

After a few minutes a silence, Steve turned the radio on and drummed his hands on the steering wheel along to the beat.

"Um," AJ began and he glanced at her. "Look, for what you did the other day, the whole thing with Jesse…thanks."

He shrugged. "Well, you know, friends look out for each other." He said. She stared at him.

"Are we friends?"

He glanced at her again. "Well, I always assumed we were…aren't we?"

She felt that flash of lust again. "We are."

They spend the rest of the drive talking about trivial things; looking back AJ wouldn't remember most of the conversation.

Steve parked down the street from the jail, the closest he could get, and the two of them trekked up the sidewalk side by side.

"What're you gonna do if they won't let you see him?" Steve asked.

AJ shrugged. "Go home and wait till he gets out, I guess."

But she was in luck, because the cop at the front desk, while giving her a hard look when she asked to see Dallas Winston, nodded curtly. After a five minute wait, she and Steve were being led back. AJ had wanted to go alone, but that's where Steve drew the line.

"Ms. Nora would have my ass if I let something happen to you."

AJ rolled her eyes, but said nothing as he followed her back. The officer led them into a little room with plastic chairs and a small table. She and Steve sat down in two of them. The officer disappeared and came back minutes later, a handcuffed Dally with him. He looked weird in the dark green jumpsuit the jail issued.

"I'll be right outside." The officer said. He closed the door behind them.

"Hey, Dal." Steve said, smiling at their friend. Dallas looked from him to AJ as he sat down.

"What the hell're you guys doing here?" He asked. AJ couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard a hint of a smile in his voice. "Shit, when O'Connell told me I had visitors, I about fell out the goddamned window. Except I couldn't, 'cause you know, it has bars on it."

AJ laughed and this time Dallas did break out into a smile. "Seriously, what're y'all doing here?"

Steve jerked his thumb towards AJ. "She asked me to drive her down here; said she wanted to talk to you."

"Oh really?" Dally leaned back in his seat. Steve could tell he wanted to put his hands behind his head, a regular gesture for him, but he couldn't, not with those cuffs on. "And what exactly did you want to talk to me about, doll?"

Now that she was here, seeing Dally in cuffs, she was even more nervous. "I just wanted to say thanks." She said. He looked at her blankly.

"For what?" He asked.

"You know," She gestured around. "For this."

He raised an eyebrow. "For getting arrested?" He asked. He knew what she meant; he just wanted to make her say it.

"For getting arrested for defending me." She explained. He snorted.

"Aw, shit, AJ, wasn't no big thing." He said. "That little fucker had it coming. Besides, Stevie here should be your real knight in shining armor or whatever the fuck you wanna call it. He got there first."

"Ah, but I didn't get arrested." Steve said. "If I had, I'd be the one with the pretty girl coming to see me."

AJ felt her face heat up; this time he had called her pretty outright. "Yeah, well, I appreciate it Dal." She told him. "Really, I do. I'm glad you're my friend." She got up and kissed his cheek. "I guess we better get out of here, Steve."

Steve started to rise, but Dally said "Actually, AJ, I need to talk to Steve alone for a second."

"Oh." She shrugged. "Okay."

Once she was out in the hall, Dally looked at Steve. "You like her." It wasn't a question.

"Of course I like her; I've known her for years." Steve replied. Dallas rolled his eyes.

"Quit bullshittin' me, kid. You know what I mean." He said. "You like her, don't you."

"I have a girlfriend, in case you forgot." Steve replied instead of answering.

Dally shook his head. "Shit man, Evie ain't got nothing on that girl right there."

"What'd you mean?" Steve asked. Dallas grinned.

"You'll figure it out."


	15. Thinking About You

_It's really good to hear your voice_

_Saying my name_

_It sounds so sweet_

_Coming from the lips of an angel_

_Hearing those words_

_It makes me weak_

_And I never wanna say goodbye_

_But girl, you make it hard to be faithful_

_With the lips of an angel_

_-Hinder_

* * *

AJ was lying on the floor in Alice's front room, head to head with Amy.

"I wanna get my hair cut." She said. Amy rolled over on her stomach to look at her.

"What kind of cut do you want?" She asked.

"This." AJ held out the magazine she had been flipping through. On the page was a picture of Twiggy, with her infamous pixie cut. "I want Twiggy hair."

"AJ, that's really short." Amy took the magazine. "Mama would have a conniption fit."

AJ grinned. "I know."

"What's Mama gonna have a conniption about?" Alice asked, coming back into the room with a just awake Kimmy.

"If I cut my hair like Twiggy's." AJ answered, showing Alice the picture. Alice cocked her head to the side, studying it.

"Cute." She said after a moment. "I think it would look good on you."

"Really?" AJ sits up. "You think so?"

Alice nodded. "I know so." She said.

"I wanna get it cut." AJ replied. "You think Lennie would do me?"

Lennie Campbell was Alice's best friend. She was also their second cousin. She worked at a salon on the South side.

"You wanna do it today?" Alice asked. "You got money?"

"I've got that fifteen dollars Mrs. Albertson gave me when I cleaned her house last week." AJ replied. "And, hell I don't know, I just want something_ different_." Alice nodded.

"All right." She said. "Let me get Kimmy a diaper bag together and we'll head down there."

"AJ, I don't know about this." Amy, ever the voice of reason, spoke up. "Mom's gonna flip if you cut off all your pretty hair."

"Amy, I'm nearly sixteen." AJ told her, rolling her eyes. "I can do what I want to with my hair; besides, what's Mom gonna do? She can't make me glue it back on."

Amy shrugged; she wasn't going to worry about it if AJ wasn't.

A half an hour later, the three sisters, plus Kimmy, were at the In Style Salon.

"Hi!" Lennie rushed over to them. She was a short girl, not much taller than Amy, with curly blonde hair. "What're you guys doing here?"

"I want my hair like this." AJ held out the picture of Twiggy. "Can you do it, Len?"

Lennie sucked in her breath. "You've got guts, Abby." She said. "A lot of women come in here asking for that haircut; not many of them can pull it off." She reached out and turned AJ's face from side to side. "I think you've got the right bone structure and face shape for it, though."

AJ nodded. "Let's do it, then." She said.

Lennie ushered her to a chair. The first thing she did was gather all of AJ's long locks into a low ponytail. "You sure you wanna do this?" She asked. AJ nodded and squeezed her eyes shut as Lennie cut the ponytail off with one swift snip of her scissors. "No going back now, kiddo."

Fifteen minutes later, when AJ climbed out of the stylist chair, she had a short, sleek cap of blonde hair covering her head.

"Wow." Lennie grinned at her. "You really do pull it off."

"Really?" AJ admired herself in the mirror.

Her hair had never been above shoulder length before and now it was nearly as short as Darry's! She turned to look at herself from a different angle. This hair cut made her tawny eyes seem huge, she noticed. She looked…grown up. Let's see what Steve thinks of this, she thought to herself.

A few blocks away, Steve was bent over the Bel-Air engine again, but he wasn't really concentrating on what he was doing. His mind kept slipping back to what Dally had said about AJ. He was kinda starting to get what Dally had said, that Evie didn't have shit on her.

Evie was great, she really was, and Steve had fun with her, but sometimes when they were out on a date or hanging out with their friends, he found himself wondering what the hell he was doing with her. She could be really shallow, she was catty towards girls who weren't in her clique, and sometimes it seemed as if she could talk for hours and not say a damned thing.

Not that AJ didn't do things that got on his nerves. She and Ponyboy could get on these laughing streaks over the stupidest things, and they were always chattering about some book or movie that he had no interest in, but he just couldn't seem to stop thinking about her, about the way her dimples popped out when she smiled, the way the sunlight had glinted off her hair that day he took her to see Dallas. He liked the way she said his name and the way she had flushed pink when he had called her pretty.

Steve sighed and tried to concentrate on the Bel-Air, but it wasn't working._ Damn it, Randle_, he thought to himself. _AJ is a_ kid!

_But she isn't really, anymore, is she?_ He argued with himself. _You know she had sex with Danvers, a few times at least_.

He sighed again. This wasn't getting him anywhere. He straightened up and glanced at the clock. It was nearly time for him and Soda to get off anyway.

On the ride home, Sodapop chattered on about something, Steve wasn't sure what, but he nodded and all the appropriate places. Well, he thought he did.

"What's wrong with you?" Soda asked after a few minutes.

"Don't know what you mean." Steve said. Soda rolled his eyes.

"Cut the crap. You ain't heard a word I've said all day. What's going on?"

Steve shrugged and Soda sighed. "Does it have to do with AJ?"

Steve looked at him sharply. "What makes you say that?" He asked. Soda grinned.

"You blew off your entire lunch break the other day to drive her down to see Dally." He said.

"So what? I was just doing her a favor." Steve argued. "Don't mean nothin'."

Soda snorted. "Yeah, I bet you believe that about as much as I do."

Steve didn't know what to say to that, so they spent the rest of the drive in silence.

* * *

**Author's Note: If you don't know who Twiggy is, or what her infamous haircut looks like, you should Google her! She was a fashion icon in the 60's.**


	16. Steve's Dilemma

_No matter what I do_

_All I seem to think about is you_

_Even when I'm with my boo_

_You know I'm crazy over you_

_-Nelly_

* * *

The first time Steve saw AJ with her new hair style, the first thing that came out of his mouth was

"What the hell happened to your hair?"

Part of it was shock over seeing her with all her hair gone, but most of it was due to the fact that she was, well…_stunning._ He thought she looked just like Edie Sedgwick, with her huge brown eyes and full lips.

"I pulled a Twiggy." She answered him, grinning. He swore his heart skipped a beat.

"I see that."

"She's gonna be the only girl in school with her hair all whacked off." Ponyboy said. He, AJ, and Johnny were sitting at the kitchen table, playing Spoons. Steve barely refrained from rolling his eyes. AJ shook her head.

"Pony, ain't you learned by now? I don't care what other people think of me." She ran her hand across the back of her neck. "I like it, and that's all that matters."

"Bet Ms. Nora had a cow." Steve said.

"Oh, she did." It was Johnny who answered. "I'm surprised y'all didn't hear her." He looked at his cards and grinned. "Spoons!"

They all three made a grab for the two spoons sitting in the middle of the table, but Pony wasn't quick enough.

"Damn." He swore without heat. "I suck at this game."

AJ looked up at Steve. "You wanna play? We can deal you in, get another spoon."

He shook his head. "No, I'm not stayin' long. I just came to get back a shirt I let Sodapop borrow."

Soda came into the kitchen then, handing Steve the button down shirt. "Here. It's clean." He said. Steve took it.

"You sure?" He asked, eyeing it, how wrinkled it was.

"Yes." Soda sounded defensive.

"It's been lying in the bottom of our closet for a month." Ponyboy said, not looking up from his cards. "Spoons!"

Once again the three of them made a grab for the spoons. AJ was out this time. "Shit." She cursed.

Steve sniffed the shirt. "It smells musty." He said to Sodapop, who rolled his eyes.

"Shake it around, it'll be fine." He said. It was Steve's turn to roll his eyes.

"Hang it out the car window on your ride home." AJ suggested. She took a hit of her cigarette, and then passed it to Johnny. "What's so special about that shirt, anyway?"

"Uh, it's Evie's favorite." He said, a little embarrassed. "She bought it for me and she asked me to wear when we go out tonight."

"Oh." AJ said. She studied her cards, passed one to Pony and accepted the one Johnny was passing to her. "That's nice."

Steve didn't like the way she said, the nonchalant way, like she didn't care that he was taking Evie out.

"We're going to Jay's, and then we're gonna go watch the rodeo." He continued. "Soda and Sandy are going too."

"Hmm." AJ nodded. "Spoons!"

Pony was out again.

"Dammit!" He cursed. "Dammit! Dammit!" Johnny and AJ laughed and slapped high fives. They didn't even notice when Steve and Sodapop left the kitchen.

"Trying to get a rise out of her?" Soda asked, raising his brow.

"What?" Steve shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sodapop grinned and shook his head. "You're so full of shit." He said quietly. "A blind man could see how bad you want that girl."

Steve chewed on the inside of his cheek. "You're the one who's full of it, man." He said finally. "AJ's just a kid."

Soda snorted. "In case you ain't noticed, there ain't nothin' kid-like about her anymore. If I wasn't in love with Sandy, hell I might even make a try for her. She's turnin' into a pretty little thing, especially with that haircut."

Steve sighed. "Look, I'll be here to pick you up at five, all right?"

Soda grinned. "All right."

Steve walked outside and to his car. First Dallas, and now Sodapop. Was he that transparent?

He drove home, glad that when he pulled into his driveway, his father's car was gone. His head felt full to burst already, just thinking about this dilemma with Evie and AJ, he didn't think he could handle anything with his Dad.

And it was a dilemma, wasn't it. He walked in the house and back to his bedroom. He tossed his car keys down on his dresser and flopped back on his bed. He couldn't deny it any longer, not to himself at least, the fact that he was attracted to AJ.

He rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. Soda was right, she was grown up. When the hell had it happened? He wondered. It didn't seem like that long ago that he and Soda were teaching her to ride a two wheel bike. But, he thought, it was a long time ago. Christ, it was nearly ten years ago.

He lay in his bed for a while, brooding over his thoughts, trying to keep from thinking about AJ. At 4:30, he rolled off his bed and went to take a shower. When he was all ready to go, he went to pick up Soda and then they went to pick up the girls at Evie's house.

At the beginning of the date, Steve swore to himself that he wouldn't think about AJ, that he'd concentrate all his attentions on Evie, but it wasn't working. He could get his mind off of her for awhile, but then something would happen that would snap it right back to her.

A Beach Boys song came on the jukebox, the same one they heard they day they went swimming.

Sandy's new perfume smelled like flowers, it reminded him of how the air had smelled the day he had driven her down to see Dal.

At the rodeo, one of the barrel racers name was Abigail, and there was a bull rider named Ray-Jay, which was too close to AJ for his liking.

Later on, towards the end of the night, when the four of them parked in their usual makeout spot, he knew he was with Evie, but in his head, it was AJ with her fingers in his hair and her mouth on his neck.


	17. Johnny and AJ's Diabolical Plot

**Author's Note: Okay, I know everyone is dying for Steve and AJ to get together, but you'll all have to wait a bit longer! It will be worth it, though, I promise! I really liked how this chapter turned out and I think you guys will be surprised by what happens with Johnny and AJ. Hell, I was surprised by it myself.**

* * *

_Slight of hand_

_Twist of fate_

_On a bed of nails she makes me wait_

_-U2_

* * *

"Hey, Johnny." AJ walked into the Curtis' living room, where he, Pony, Steve, and Soda were watching TV. She waved a piece of mail at her friend. "You got a letter from Reesa."

"Thanks." Johnny smiled and took it.

Reesa was Johnny's older sister. She lived in Southern Oklahoma with her husband and three-year-old daughter. She had run off with a bull rider four years before, when she was sixteen, who she was now married to. She and Johnny wrote each other letters and used the Adare's address, because Mr. and Mrs. Cade had forbidden Johnny to talk to his older sister. They acted as if she didn't exist anymore.

"What's it say?" Ponyboy asked. Johnny was smiling.

"Shannon rode a pony for the first time." He said, referring to his niece. "Reesa sent some pictures of her. They think that the new baby is going to be a little boy because she's carrying different this time, but her and Dwayne can't decide on a name."

He pulled the pictures out of the envelope and studied them, then passed them around.

"I had such a crush on your sister when I was about thirteen, Johnnycakes." Steve said, looking at the one of Reesa cradling her protruding stomach.

"Did you?" Johnny looked up.

"He did." Soda laughed suddenly. "He was very upset when she took off with Dwayne."

"They want me to come and visit them next summer." Johnny said.

"Will you go?" AJ asked and Johnny shrugged.

"Maybe. I dunno."

"I think you should." She told him. "It would be fun to spend some time on a cattle ranch."

"Yeah, just like the Ponderosa!" Soda added. "Speaking of which, y'all be quiet, Bonanza's coming on!"

"Soda, it's a rerun!" Steve said.

"Yeah, but it's the one with Hoss and the leprechauns!"

"Oh." Steve settled back in his seat. "This is a good one." He cast a glance at AJ. "You wanna watch it with us?"

She shrugged. "Sure." He moved down on the couch and she set beside him.

Sodapop rolled his eyes. What was it gonna take for these two to get their act together? He'd been trying to give Steve a nudge in the right direction, but it wasn't really working too well. Why did his best buddy have to be so damned hard headed?

Steve could feel the heat from AJ's body and it was making him nervous. Him! Hell, he hadn't been nervous over a girl since, well, Reesa Cade. But AJ didn't have that untouchable status that Reesa had held for him. AJ was right here, close enough to touch, laughing at Hoss Cartwright's antics.

AJ could feel Steve's eyes on her. Johnny was still insisting that he liked her, and AJ was starting to wonder if maybe he did. Ever since he had driven her down to see Dally, nearly two weeks before, things had seemed to change between them. There was something about the way he would look at her sometimes, or stand a little too closely to her.

She just couldn't wrap her head around it, though. And sitting here on the couch, she though back to a conversation she'd had with Alice the week before. They were going grocery shopping; Alice had left the baby with Brandon and she claimed it was one of her few times of solitude.

"I think Steve likes me." AJ had told her. Alice nodded.

"I think so too." She said. "I've seen how he looks at you lately."

"And how's that?" AJ giggled and Alice winked.

"Like you're a cold glass of water and he's dying of thirst." Alice studied a box of cereal and tossed it into the cart. "What're you gonna do about it?"

AJ shrugged. "I dunno…what do you think I should do?"

"Don't make the first move." Her big sister advised. "Let him come to you; if he wants you bad enough, he will. Is he still with Evie?"

AJ sighed. "Yeah."

"Well, make sure he gets rid of her before you let him even kiss you. If he tries, you tell him that you're no one's sloppy seconds."

AJ nodded. "Okay, what else?"

Alice grinned; it made her feel so young again, to be discussing boy strategy. "Play hard to get, okay? Think of all the years you've had a crush on him. Now it's his turn to suffer."

AJ nodded again, but chewed her lip. "What if he just loses interest?"

"He won't." Alice assured her. "Trust me, if you act like you could care less about him or what he's doing, you'll have him hot on your trail. How do you think I got Brandon's attention?"

"Well, I figured it was because you're gorgeous and stacked." AJ had answered and Alice laughed.

"Hey, I was sixteen when I first me him, and he was twenty. I had to work to get him to even look at me. He was a big shot greaser; who was I, some little girl with a crush."

"So what did you do?" AJ asked. Alice grinned.

"I flirted with Tim and completely ignored Brandon." She said.

"And that worked?"

Alice grinned down at her wedding band. "Like a charm."

So this was where AJ had a plan formulating. She wished that Sodapop wasn't dating Sandy, so she could ask him for his help, but he was, so she had decided to go with her second choice: Johnny.

Once Bonanza had ended, Johnny glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'm gonna head home." He said, standing. AJ stood, too.

"Yeah, so am I." She said. "See y'all tomorrow."

She followed Johnny out into the yard. "You wanna take a walk with me?" She asked. "I need to talk to you about something."

Johnny shrugged. "Sure, just as long as we're in by the time it starts getting dark." He touched the scar on his cheek and AJ nodded. She didn't wanna deal with any Soc's either.

"So, what's up?" Johnny asked as they walked along the sidewalk together.

"I need your help." AJ looked at the ground, hoping like hell he would agree to this.

"With what?"

"With getting Steve to ask me out." She replied and Johnny looked confused.

"And how can I help you with that?"

She took a deep breath. "I need you to pretend that you and I are…you know…"

"Having a thing?" Johnny supplied.

"Yep."

"And why would we do that?" He asked.

"Well, you know how Steve didn't even notice me until I was with Jesse, and then he was super jealous?"

"Yeah…" Johnny said slowly.

"Well, Alice has this theory that if I ignore him completely and focus my attention on someone else, well, you get the idea."

"I do." Johnny nodded. "So you wanna use me to make Stevie jealous? Is that about the long and short of it?"

"Yeah." AJ said in a small voice. He was going to refuse to help her and call her a bad friend, she just knew it.

But to her surprise, Johnny laughed, a long and hard belly laugh. "Oh, what the hell." He said. "I'll do it."

"You will?" She couldn't believe it. Johnny shrugged.

"Sure. Sounds like fun, getting Steve's dander up." He said, still chuckling. "What do you need me to do?"

"I dunno…like let's just flirt and stuff." She said. "Maybe hold hands?"

"All right." He nodded. "Do we need to, you know, kiss?"

AJ shook her head. "No, I don't think so, not in front of them. But you could tell Pony, where Soda can hear you, that we did."

Johnny nodded. "Got it. So, when I see Pony tomorrow, I should tell him that we just up and made out?"

AJ nodded. "Well, make it a little more romantic than that." She told him.

"Like how?"

"All right." She rolled her eyes. "Tell him that we walked to the park together and that we were sitting near the fountain and just say that I leaned over and kissed you and that you kissed me back."

He nodded. "Okay, I can do that. Then what?"

AJ shrugged. "Let's see how they all react to that, and then we can go from there."

Johnny shook his head. "You're an evil mastermind." He said. "I never knew. I've gotta question, though."

"What?"

"Why me?" He asked. "Why'd you ask me?"

AJ shrugged. "Well, you're my best friend and you can keep a secret." She said. "And none of the other guys would've really worked, you know? Pony's too young to understand, Two-Bit can't take anything serious, Darry's too old, Dally's in jail, and Sodapop has his head in Sandy's butt."

"So I was the only choice." Johnny didn't know if this was a good thing or not.

AJ put her arm around him. "Yeah, but you're also the best choice."

"Thanks." He said. "Okay, I guess we're starting Operation Make Steve Jealous."

She laughed. "Yeah, but we've got to give it a better name than that."


	18. Is She Really Going Out With Him?

_Is she really going out with him?  
Is she really gonna take him home tonight?  
Is she really going out with him?  
Cause if my eyes don't deceive me  
There's something going wrong around here  
-Joe Jackson_

* * *

Johnny knew he had to time this just right, and when he heard Steve and Sodapop come in the front door, he decided to do it then.

"Can I tell you something?" He asked Ponyboy, in a voice just loud enough to carry. "You can't tell anyone else, though."

"Sure." Pony said. "What is it? I won't tell, I promise."

"Uh…" Johnny scuffed the toe of his sneaker against Pony's bedroom floor. "Last night me and AJ went for a walk and something happened."

He heard Steve and Soda go quiet in the living room at the mention of AJ's name.

"What was it?" Pony asked. "Soc's-?"

"No, nothing like that." Johnny took a deep breath, pretending like he was preparing himself. "We kissed."

Ponyboy blinked. "Say what?"

Johnny looked down at his feet. "AJ and me…we kissed."

"How the hell did that happen?" Pony asked incredulously.

"Well, we walked to the park and we were sitting by the fountain, talking and I dunno, it just happened."

"What was it like?"

Johnny shrugged; having not actually kissed AJ, how was he supposed to describe it? Besides, he'd done his main purpose and that was to make sure Steve heard about it.

In the living room, Steve and Soda were staring at each other, wide eyed.

"She kissed…Johnny?" Steve whispered. "But I thought she liked me!"

"Maybe she got tired of waiting for you to break up with Evie." Soda whispered back.

Something seemed fishy about this, to him at least. For as long as he had known AJ and Johnny, he'd never seen them show any kinda of romantic interest in each other. AJ had been mooning over Steve since they were kids and Johnny had warmed up to Sylvia that one time, till Steve sent her packing. But he'd never seen them look at one another as anything but friends. Something was up and he planned to get to the bottom of it.

Steve didn't know what to do. "Do you think they're together now?" He asked Sodapop, who shrugged.

"Dunno." Soda said. "They might be."

"Well…well, I'm gonna go next door and ask her!" Steve decided suddenly. He stood up and walked outside. Soda rolled his eyes and followed.

"Slow down, would you?" He said, trying to catch up to his friend. "Geez, what're you going to a fire?"

Steve didn't answer, just marched up the steps of the Adare's front porch and knocked on their door. Amy answered a few minutes later, still in her pajamas, even though it was after two in the afternoon.

"Hey." She said. "What's up?"

"Where's AJ?" Steve asked, looking past Amy. She cocked her eyebrow.

"Rude much, Randle?"

Soda pulled Steve back. "Amy, is AJ here? Steve and me need to talk to her." He said, smiling.

Even Amy couldn't resist the charm of Sodapop Curtis. "Yeah, but she's in the shower. I'll go tell her y'all are here."

"Thanks, Ames." Soda said. He and Steve sat on the porch swing for probably five minutes before AJ came out.

"Hey guys." She said. Her short hair was still wet from the shower and Steve could smell the scent of her soap on her skin. "What's going on?"

"Are you going steady with Johnny?" Steve asked. AJ narrowed her eyes, but her insides were jumping for joy.

"I don't see how that's any business of yours." She said coolly.

Steve stepped up to her, closing the gap between them, and AJ had to keep herself from stepping back. "You know damn good and well why it's my business." He growled. AJ glared up at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said.

"The hell you don't."

Soda felt weird, like he was intruding on an extremely private conversation, which, he supposed, he was.

"I don't!" AJ argued. "But if I did, I'd say that you need to worry about your own girlfriend and leave me alone!"

It was as if Steve had forgotten Soda was there completely. He grabbed AJ by her shoulders and pulled her to him. He couldn't take this anymore. He pressed his lips to hers.

AJ felt like she was melting. All the times she and Jesse had kissed, it had never felt like this. This was what she'd been waiting for, the fireworks she had read about. And then, then she came to her sense, remembering what Alice had told her. She was no one's dirty little secret. She shoved Steve away from her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded. She was trying to sound fierce, but her voice came out breathlessly. Steve grinned.

"You liked it." He said.

Soda was just standing there awkwardly, really wishing he was elsewhere. This was possibly the most uncomfortable thing he'd ever witnessed.

"You need to get back to your girlfriend." AJ said. "I'm no one's sloppy seconds. And I'm with Johnny now, anyway."

Steve didn't answer; he just turned and walked away. Soda looked at AJ, and they both watched as he climbed in his car and took off.

"Bullshit." Soda said, looking back at her.

"What?"

He snorted. "You're not interested in Johnny Cade anymore than I am, are you? This is just some little plot you've cooked up, to get on Steve's nerves."

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" She shot back. He grinned. He had to give her that.

"Yeah, you're damn skippy it did." He said. "Just…don't be leadin' Johnnycakes on, okay?"

AJ laughed. "Don't worry, he's in on it. And now you are too…you're not gonna say anything are you?"

"Mum's the word." He told her. "But really, how long are you gonna let this little charade go on?"

"Until he breaks it off with Evie." She said. "I meant what I said, Soda."

"Yeah, well I guess that's a good way to be." He said.

"And besides that, look how many years I've had a crush on him, watching him step out with every other girl. Now it's his turn." She replied.

"And Johnny's in on this thing, too?" He asked, just to be sure. "He doesn't really think…you know?"

AJ rolled her eyes. "Of course he's in on it!"

"Did you two really even kiss?" Soda asked and AJ laughed.

"I don't kiss and tell." She said.

Two blocks over, Steve was fuming as he pulled into his own driveway. He wasn't sure who he was more annoyed with, AJ or himself.

Why had he kissed her? He wondered. No that he hadn't enjoyed it; boy hardy, had he enjoyed it. And he thought she was too, that is, until she had shoved him away and told him to go back to his own girlfriend.

As much as he hated to admit it, Evie hadn't even crossed his mind while kissing AJ. He hadn't even thought of her until AJ said something. This made him feel pretty bad, he may not have always been the greatest boyfriend in the world, but he was normally faithful as hell.

He walked into his house, hoping that his Dad was at least half sober and not spoiling for a fight.

Of course, he no such luck.

"Where the hell you been?" Leland Randle sat in his favorite recliner. "You know what time it is, boy?"

"It's barely after three." Steve answered. "And I was at Sodapop's house."

"Don't get smart with me, Steven." His father slurred. "Why weren't you at school?"

"Dad, its summer." Steve tried to keep the impatience out of his voice. "School doesn't start back for another two weeks."

He hated it when his Dad looked at him when he was drunk, that blankly glazed over stare that reminded Steve all too much of the way his mother had looked when she was still doing chemo.

He managed to brush past his Dad, who was still muttering nonsense at him and went in his bedroom. He slipped off his shoes and lay down on his bed. He knew what he had to do…he was going to break up with Evie.


	19. Dally's Advice

**Author's Note: I just wanna say a quick thanks to all the wonderful reviews I've been getting for this story! In 19 chapters I've only gotten one bad review, which the reviewer wasn't even brave enough to leave their name. I deleated it. I know I have a great story here and one person isn't going to change my mind! And, I hope everyone had a happy 4th of July (American or not, I still hope you all had a good day!)! I've gotta say that beer, hotdogs, and explosives are the makings of a true American holiday!**

* * *

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you_

_Been here all along_

_So why can't you see?_

_You belong with me_

_Standing by and waiting at your back door_

_After all this time_

_How could you not know, baby?_

_You belong with me_

_You belong with me_

_-Taylor Swift_

* * *

It had been three days and Steve still hadn't broken up with Evie. He wasn't sure how to go about it, exactly. He'd seen AJ twice since their kiss and both times she'd been with Johnny, laughing and holding his hand. It just about burned Steve up with jealousy.

He didn't know what to do, so here he was driving back down to the lockup to talk to Dally again. He didn't know why he was doing it, only that Dal was the first one to make him realize that his feelings for AJ had changed.

Once again, it didn't take him very long to get in and see him, maybe ten minutes.

"Well, well, well, Randle." Dally came into the same little room as before. "To what do I owe the pleasure this time?"

"I need to talk to you." Steve said. "It's about AJ."

Dally didn't looked surprised. "Imagine that." He said dryly.

"I kissed her." Steve admitted and Dally grinned.

"Like a real kiss or just a peck?" He asked.

"A real kiss." Steve said. "The only thing is…well, she's with Johnny now."

Dally furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, she's with Johnny? Our Johnny?" He asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah…" Steve sighed. "They're always flirting and stuff."

"And it kills you, doesn't it?" Dallas asked. He had to fight to keep from grinning.

"Yeah." Steve admitted. "And on top of that, I feel really guilty for even thinking about AJ while I'm still with Evie."

Dally shrugged. "So break up with her." He said.

"It's not that simple!" Steve insisted and Dally rolled his eyes.

"What's so hard about it?" He asked. "You call her up and tell her you're not into her anymore, and you think its time you guys saw other people. Big deal."

"I'm not breaking up with her over the phone." Steve replied.

"Okay, so go by her house and tell her." Dally shook his head as the guard stuck his head and told them they had five more minutes. "Its not rocket science, man."

"All right, then what do I do?" Steve asked. "After I break up with Evie, AJ's still with Johnny."

Dallas shook his head again. "You need to talk to Johnny about that, man." He told him as the guard came in. "Something doesn't sit right there."

All in all, Dally had been helpful, Steve thought as he walked to his car. He just needed to muster up his courage and do this, so he decided to stop at Evie's on the way home.

She answered the door and seemed genuinely happy to see him.

"Hey, stranger." She said, smiling. "Come in."

He followed her into her kitchen. "Evie, I need to talk to you." He said.

She turned. "Okay…what's up?"

"I don't wanna go out with you anymore!" He just blurted it out quickly, kinda like ripping a band-aid off a scrape.

She stared at him. "What? Why?"

""You're a great girl." He said. "And I like you…but just not like that anymore. I'm sorry."

Her eyes seemed overly bright, but that was it. "Is there…I mean, do you have another girl?"

He shook his head. "No." He told her. Steve figured it wasn't really a lie. "I just…we're about to start our junior year, and I just wanna, you know, be free to see other girls."

She nodded. Her eyes were still bright, but she hadn't let the tears flow yet. "All right, if that's what you want…"

"I do." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before leaving.

Once he was back in his car, Steve heaved a sigh of relief. Well, that was easier than he thought it would be. Now he needed to talk to Johnny. He was just thinking this thought, when he happened to glance at the sidewalk ahead of him and saw Johnny meandering along. Perfect timing.

"Hey, kid, you need a lift?" Steve pulled up beside him and Johnny grinned and hopped in.

"Thanks, Steve." He said.

"No problem." Steve's gaze darted over to the younger guy. "Look, Johnnycakes, can we talk?"

Johnny nodded, but didn't quite meet his eyes. "Sure."

"What's going on with you and AJ?" He asked. "Are y'all going steady?"

Johnny chewed his lip, not quite sure how to answer. "Um…why do you wanna know?" He said finally. Steve sighed.

"Because I just broke it off with Evie, and I'd like to take AJ out, but if there's something between y'all, I don't wanna-."

Johnny made a split second decision. "There ain't nothin' going on between us." He said. "We're just friends."

Steve was confused. "Then why all the flirty junk?" He asked. Johnny reddened a bit.

"That was just to…uh…get your dander up." He admitted. Steve blinked.

"So the last few days was just a show to make me jealous?" He asked incredulously.

"It worked, didn't it?" Johnny said in a meek voice. Steve nodded.

"Well, hell, I guess it did." He glanced at Johnny again. "So if I were to, say, ask AJ to maybe go steady…are you sayin' that she'd say yes?"

Johnny nodded. "Believe me, she'd say yes."

They pulled into the Curtis driveway and Steve got out and began heading next door.

"What, you're gonna ask her now?" Johnny called out and Steve nodded.

"Yep."

He knocked on the front door and AJ answered.

"What do you want?" She asked in a snotty voice. Steve grinned.

"You." He said simply. She cocked her eyebrow.

"What the hell are you talking about, Randle?" She asked. She bent and picked up Whiskers Meowington before he could make one of his many bids for freedom.

"I broke up with Evie." He told her. "And I know there ain't nothin' going on with you and Johnny."

"So?"

"So I came over to ask you if you wanted to go with me." Steve scratched the back of his head nervously.

AJ felt like her insides might explode. This was what she'd been waiting to hear come out of his mouth for years. "Are you askin' me to be your girl?" She wanted to clarify. He nodded.

"Yep." He grinned at her. "So, what'd you say?"

"I say…what took you so damn long?"

The next thing she knew, Steve's arms were around her and they were kissing again and this time she knew she didn't have to push him away.

"What the hell are you doing, Abigail?" Her mother came from the kitchen. "You're letting all the cold air out. I'm not cooling the whole damn neighborhood….oh!" She stopped in shock to see her middle daughter wrapped around Steve. "Er…so I take you two are…?"

"Yep." Steve grinned. "We are."


	20. Mine At Last

**Author's Notes: WOO-HOO! I hit the 100 review mark! This is a milestone for me! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and please, keep them coming! So the story is really getting going now, hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_You smiled, then the spell was cast_

_And here we are in heaven_

_For you are mine_

_At last_

_-Etta James_

* * *

AJ spent the next few days feeling like she was floating on a cloud. It had _never_ been like this with Jesse.

"AJ?" Ponyboy waved his hand in front of her face. "It's your turn."

"Hmm?" She looked at him dreamily and Pony sighed.

"It's your turn to roll." He said, handing her the dice.

"Oh!" She rolled them and got a six. "Whoo-hoo, doubles! I get to roll again! Suck on that, losers!"

"And this is exactly why I hate playin' board games with you, AJ." Johnny said. "You're too damn competitive."

"I like to win." AJ said simply, moving her game piece. "I passed go, now give me my two hundred dollars!" She held her hand out to Pony, who was the banker in this never ending game of Monopoly.

The three of them had been playing this particular game for over a year. They got the game out and played for a few hours every couple of months. Sodapop had started taking bets on when they would finish and who would win.

"Y'all at that damn game again?" Two-Bit walked through the front door, a beer held loosely in his hand.

"Yeah." The three younger kids answered in unison. Two-Bit shook his head. He hated Monopoly; Clue was more his style of game.

"Where is everybody?" He asked, sitting down in an armchair.

"At work." Pony said, taking his turn. He landed on Johnny's Marvin Garden's, which, of course, Johnny had built hotels on. "Crap!"

"Ha-ha, pay up sucker!" Johnny held out his hand and Pony grumbled, but gave him the money.

"When is this game gonna end?" Two-Bit asked, looking over AJ's shoulder.

"As soon as two of us are bankrupt." She said, looking back at him while Johnny rolled the dice. "The last one standing wins."

"So, this could go on for years." He commented and AJ nodded.

"Exactly."

After about ten more minutes, they got bored with the game and Pony put it up, after writing down how much money each of them had and what properties they owned. Two-Bit shook his head again.

"Too complicated for me." He said. "So…school starts back next week. Y'all ready?"

Ponyboy nodded eagerly, but the other two groaned.

"Don't remind me." Johnny said. "I hate school."

"No joke." AJ agreed, but she was secretly looking forward to this year with Steve. The only thing she was nervous about was Evie.

She knew that Sandy knew that she was dating Steve and that Sandy had told Evie. Two days after Steve had asked her out, she was down at the DX on his lunch break when Evie, Sandy, and Sylvia Tucci, Dally's on-again-off-again girl, all three came sauntering in. Of course, Sandy was there to see Sodapop, or at least, that was the cover story. AJ thought maybe she had brought Evie and Sylvia in to see that Steve and AJ really were dating. After about ten minutes of Evie staring daggers at both of them, Steve had suggested they go to the garage.

But AJ wasn't going to let that get her down, no way. She'd been waiting for years for Steve to notice her and he finally had and they were going on their first official date tonight. So what if it was just to The Dingo and then to cruise The Loop? She was super excited about it. Her Mom had even took her down to Sears and bought her a new mini dress to wear. Speaking of shopping…

"My Mom wants to take us back-to-school shopping tomorrow." AJ told Pony and Johnny. "Darry already said you're coming Pone, but do you wanna come, Johnny?"

He shrugged. "If I can wheel some money out of my folks, maybe. I dunno. I hate shopping."

"Let me come along, you won't need any money." Two-Bit said, grinning. AJ shook her head.

"Uh-huh, we're not going through that again!" She told him.

The year before, when Mrs. Curtis was still alive, she and Nora had taken AJ, Amy, Pony, and Johnny shopping for school clothes and supplies. Soda, Steve, Dally, and Two-Bit had "accidentally" run into them there, with Two-Bit making off with three new shirts and two pairs of jeans. No one was quite sure how he had done it, and he would have gotten caught, if Mrs. Curtis hadn't fast talked their way out of there. It was an experience none of them wanted to repeat.

"Yeah, shopping for new clothes is bad enough." Pony said, lighting a cigarette. "We don't need your shenanigans on top of it."

Two-Bit held up his hands. "All right, all right. If y'all say so."

"We do." AJ replied. She looked at the clock. "Shit, I better go."

"Why?" Two-Bit cracked. "Got a hot date with Stevie?"

"Actually, I do." She answered, grinning.

"Y'all gonna shoot The Loop tonight?" He asked and AJ nodded.

"You and Kathy gonna be there?" She asked.

"Probably." He answered. "I got my car fixed and she ain't mad at me anymore."

"Why was she mad at you?" Pony wanted to know.

"Oh, she said I was flirtin' with Lindsey Carlson last week at Jay's." Two-Bit waved his hand like it was no big deal.

"Were you?" Johnny asked.

"Well…yeah." He said. "I was; so what?"

"As much as I'd love to stay and tell you what a crappy boyfriend you are, I have to go get ready." AJ said. "See y'all."

"Bye, AJ."

She headed next door to her house. "Amy?" She called out. Amy came into the living room, dragging her overnight bag.

"Brandon's coming to pick me up; I'm spending the night there." She said.

"You don't look very excited about it." AJ noted. Amy shrugged.

"Angel Shepard's gonna be there, too." She said. "Alice's is insisting we have a sleepover and Mama's going along with it."

"Sounds like fun." AJ told her. She grabbed a Pepsi from the fridge.

"Oh yeah…tons of fun, listening to Angel rattle on all night about how cute Pony is and God knows what else. Yep, lots and lots of fun."

"It'll be fine, I'm sure."

Amy didn't have a chance to answer, because Brandon pulled up and honked the horn.

"See you tomorrow!" AJ called after her.

"If I survive the night." Amy answered, slamming the car door extra hard.

"Easy, kid." Brandon told as he backed out onto the street.

AJ grinned to herself; Amy and Angel having a sleepover? She almost felt sorry for Brandon. _Almost._

She wondered back to her bedroom and pulled out her new dress, admiring it again. It was the shortest thing her mother had ever bought for her, only ending at her mid-thigh. It was dark blue, with orange trim. Nora had bought her a pair of orange pumps. AJ had begged for a pair of go-go boots, but Nora had put her foot down there.

"No daughter of mine is going out looking like a cage dancer." She's said. AJ rolled her eyes at the thought. Her Mom didn't understand anything.

After her shower, she applied some makeup and fixed her hair. It was so much easier now that it was short. Finally, she dressed and put her shoes on. Her final touch was a pair of huge hoop earrings Alice had gotten for her.

AJ was just touching up her lip gloss when Steve knocked on the front door. She heard her Mom let him in.

"Hi, Ms. Nora." He said.

"Hello Steve. Don't you look handsome?" She asked and he felt his face heat up a bit. He was wearing jeans and a black button down shirt, nothing special.

"I'm ready." AJ came into the living room and Steve felt his jaw unhinge a little. She was wearing the shortest dress he'd ever seen her in. Hell, he didn't think Evie wore skirts that short, even.

"You look…fantastic." He said. She smiled and blushed a little.

"Thanks."

"You two have a good time and be careful." Ms. Nora kissed AJ on the cheek. She patted Steve's shoulder. "I want her home by midnight, Steven."

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

On the way out to his car, he glanced at her again. "You really do look nice." He said. "Is that a new dress?"

"Yeah…I didn't know you noticed stuff like that." She was surprised.

"I don't usually; it's just so…short." He replied. "Not that I'm complaining, you have great legs."

AJ felt her face heat up again. "Thanks." She said quietly.

"I noticed that day we went swimming." He said, backing out of her driveway. "I noticed a lot of things about you that day."

"Like how great of a swimmer I am?" She asked slyly and he laughed.

"Yep, let's go with that."

When they got to The Dingo, it was packed. Steve held her hand as they made their way inside and tried to find a booth.

"Hey, guys!" They heard Two-Bit calling out and they both turned. He was waving at them from a corner booth, Kathy practically on his lap. "We've got room over here!"

"Do you mind sitting with them?" Steve asked her quietly. She shook her head.

"I don't care; we'll be lucky to get a seat anywhere else." She replied.

They made their way over to their friends and slid into the booth across from them.

"Oh my God, AJ!" Kathy said. "I love your earrings! Where'd you get them?"

"Alice got them for me." AJ said. "I don't know where, though."

"They're really cute!"

"Thanks."

AJ had never been super close to Kathy; she knew her, obviously, but not overly well. She was a pretty girl with reddish-blonde hair and apple green eyes. She seemed friendly enough, and not real catty like Evie or Sylvia.

They were at The Dingo for awhile, eating and talking to different people. Anyone who didn't know before definitely knew now that Steve Randle had dumped Evie Young for AJ Adare.

"Y'all are the_ talk_ of the East side!" Kathy had told AJ while they were using the ladies room. "Nobody's really surprised, of course. Everyone knows what a bitch Evie can be."

"I thought you guys were friends." AJ said. Kathy shrugged.

"Nah. We're friendly, but I'm not tuff enough to be a part of her little group." She said, looking in the mirror to check her lipstick. "Speaking of which, she's on the warpath for you."

"Why?" AJ asked, though she thought she already knew.

Kathy laughed. "You stole her man right out from under her, practically." She said. "She's out for blood, so watch your back. And don't trust Sandy either. She's a…what do you call it? Wolf in sheep's clothes?"

"Yeah." AJ nodded. She'd never really had an issue with Sandy and she knew Ponyboy was infatuated with her. "Thanks for the heads up, Kathy."

"Hey," Kathy wrapped her arm around her as they left the restroom. "That's what friends are for, right?"

AJ nodded. "Right."

After they were done at The Dingo, AJ climbed in the passenger seat of Steve's car.

"Everyone's talking about us." She told him. He grinned.

"I noticed." He glanced at her. "Does it bother you?"

She shrugged. She wasn't used to being noticed. "I guess not." She answered finally as Steve pulled onto The Loop. "Apparently, Evie's gunning for me, though."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about Evie." He told her. "She ain't gonna do shit."

AJ wasn't so sure.


	21. Summer's End

**Author's Note: This is a pretty short chapter guys! Its really just a filler, but the next one will be longer, I promise!**

* * *

_There's a summer drawing to an end tonight_

_And there's so much I long to do to you_

_-Kenny Chesney_

* * *

All in all, the shopping trip wasn't that bad, especially compared to the year before. Pony had grumbled a little bit about uncomfortable slacks and Johnny refused to let Ms. Nora buy him a new jeans jacket, but other than that things went down without any incident.

And now, there was only one day till school would be back in session. The mood in the Adare backyard was slightly bleak.

"Come on, you guys." Darry said, lightening the grill. "It's not that bad."

"Says the guy who's done with school." Steve muttered.

The whole gang (minus Dally, who was still in the cooler) was all gathered having an end of summer/Labor Day cookout. It was kind of a tradition for them.

"I like school." Two-Bit said, dropping in a lawn chair beside Steve and AJ, who were both squeezed into the same one.

"Well, you're a freak." Steve told him. He took a drink of his Coke. Two-Bit turned and called over his shoulder to his mother, who was in the house with Ms. Nora.

"Ma! Steve called me a freak!"

Sherilyn Matthews came out the back door, a bowl of potato salad in her hands. "Play nice, children." She said sarcastically. "Two-Bit, have you seen Tally?"

Tally was his little sister. "I think she's with Amy." He answered.

"She is." Nora came outside too. She laid a plate of perfectly round hamburger patties on the table near the grill, for Darry to begin to cook when he was ready. "They're looking at some experiment in Amy's room."

"Great." AJ said. "Maybe Amy's finally figured out how to build a bomb."

"Not funny." Nora said, looking at her. "And AJ, get your own chair. I swear to God, you two make me sick."

Steve and AJ grinned at one another. "Sorry Mom." AJ moved into an empty chair. "When's Alice and Brandon supposed to be here?"

"Right now." Two-Bit nodded towards the driveway, where Brandon had just pulled in.

Alice got Kimmy from her car seat and was carrying her around back.

"Oh, there's my baby!" Nora said, scooping her grandchild from Alice's arms. "It feels like forever since I saw you!"

"Mom, you saw her yesterday." AJ said, rolling her eyes. She got up and helped Brandon smooth out a blanket for Kimmy to lie on after Nora finished smothering her with hugs and kisses.

"Johnny's here." Steve said, pointing.

"Hey, Johnnycakes!" Brandon said as their friend came into the backyard. "How you doing, kid?"

Johnny shrugged. "Fine, I guess." He said. He looked around. "Where's Pony and Sodapop?"

"They went to pick up Sandy." Steve answered.

The fact that Soda was bringing Sandy to their get together made AJ nervous. Sandy was Evie's best friend, and she remembered that Kathy (who was mad at Two-Bit again, otherwise she would've been there) said not to trust her.

AJ hadn't run into Evie alone yet, but it was only a matter of time, and she'd heard more rumors that Evie was threatening to kick her ass. Alice said not to worry about it, and to go for her hair if she tried anything.

"Here they come now." Darry said, as his truck pulled in next door.

Once everyone was there, Darry began to cook the burgers and hotdogs up.

"I want my hotdog burnt." Tally announced. She was ten-years-old and a mini-version of her big brother.

"Me too." Two-Bit added and winked at her. She grinned and crawled in his lap. "Ah, Little-Bit, you're getting too big for this." He said, but he was smiling and he didn't make her move.

"Two burnt hotdogs, got it." Darry said, shuddering slightly at the thought.

Sodapop was sitting on the blanket with Sandy, playing with Kimmy, who was just learning to roll over on her own. "She's so cute!" He said. "Like a little roly-poly puppy or something!"

"Yes, compare my child to a dog." Brandon joked, eating some chips. "Has anyone else noticed how it's impossible to stop with just one chip?"

"They're coated with heroin; I've been saying it for years." Steve said, popping one in his mouth.

AJ leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She loved these cookouts, but hated them also. It meant summer was over and it was time to go back to school.

They all ate burgers and hotdogs and roasted some marshmallows, and when it got closer to being dark out, Ponyboy brought out some fireworks he had light over from the fourth. Amy and Tally played with sparklers, writing their names in quick fairy lights and Johnny and Pony laughed as they set off Lady Fingers in the middle of the street.

The radio was playing low beside them and AJ squeezed back into the seat with Steve. She knew Sandy was watching them, but she didn't care. Let her run back to Evie with her stories.

AJ was happy and she wasn't going to let anyone ruin it for her.


	22. Kathy's Guide to Catfights

_Everybody says you gotta know your enemies_

_Even if they only weigh 100 pounds_

_And stand five foot three_

_-Miranda Lambert_

* * *

"Hey," Kathy stopped AJ in the hallway on the first day of school. "Evie's lookin' for you, kid."

AJ sighed and slumped against a locker. "God, doesn't she ever give up?"

Kathy shook her head. "She's got it in her head that you stole Steve from her; she's not gonna stop until you've fought it out."

AJ closed her eyes. "That's what I was afraid of." She looked at Kathy. "I've never been in a fight."

Kathy grinned. "Shoot, ain't nothin' to it." She said. "Go for her earrings."

"Alice said her hair." AJ said. Kathy grinned again. Everyone knew that Alice had been suspended twice for fighting while she was at Will Rogers.

"Yeah, that's a good one too. Look," She said as the warning bell rang. "What're you doing after school today?"

"Nothing." AJ answered.

"How about you meet me out by my car after last bell and we can go to my house; I'll show you some moves." Kathy suggested. "That way you can at least hold your own."

"All right." AJ nodded, and then hurried into her math class.

At lunch time, she, Johnny, and Ponyboy sat on a low wall outside. They never sat in the cafeteria; that was Soc territory. usually, then rode down to the Handee-Mart with Steve and Two-Bit, but Steve was doing a lunchtime dentention and no one knew where Tqo-Bit was.

"I'm going over to Kathy's after school." She told them.

"Kathy who?" Pony asked. AJ rolled her eyes.

"Kathy Barrett, you know Two-Bit's girlfriend?" She replied. "Glory Ponyboy, for someone so smart, you ask some dumbass questions."

The tips of Pony's ear reddened. "Shut up." He said. "I just didn't know you and her were friends is all."

"Well, we are." AJ told him.

"Why're you going to her house?" Johnny asked.

"Just to hang out." She answered, not wanting to admit the real reason she was going over there.

"Since when do you and her hang out?" Pony asked suspiciously. AJ rolled her eyes.

"I do have other friends besides you two, you know." She answered.

The fact of the matter was AJ had never really had that many female friends. Sure, there were girls she was friendly with, but she'd never had a really close girlfriend. It had always been her, and Pony, and Johnny. When they were younger, they had called themselves the Three Musketeers.

"What're y'all gonna do?" Johnny asked. He was curious what two girls did when they hung out. He was certain that Steve and Two-Bit's theory of naked pillow fights was probably false.

"Oh you know, listen to some music, read some magazines, maybe paint our nails." AJ answered, making stuff up on the spot. Pony gave her a disgusted look.

"You never wear nail polish." He said.

It was true; she rarely painted her nails.

"Well, now I do." She replied. Ponyboy stood up.

"I've gotta go to class." He said.

Johnny and AJ watched him go.

"What crawled up his butt and died?" AJ asked. Johnny chuckled.

"I think he's jealous." He answered. AJ looked at him in surprise.

"Jealous of what?" She wondered.

"He thinks you're outgrowing us." Johnny told her. "You know, you're dating Steve, you're hanging around with Kathy…Pony's afraid you're gonna up and decide not to be friends with us anymore. Like, we're too childish or something." He shrugged.

AJ looked at him. "Are you serious? You guys are my best friends; I'd never do that! Why would he even think that?"

Johnny shrugged again. "Well, you know how him and Steve are; they can barely tolerate each other."

AJ nodded; this was something she never understood, how they couldn't like one another. Alice swore it was because they were so similar in certain aspects. AJ wasn't sure about that.

The bell signaling the end of their lunch period rang and Johnny and AJ stood up. She was headed to Biology and Johnny to Gym. The hallways were crowded as everyone headed to their classes

"AJ!" She turned when she heard her name being called. Steve was waving to her from in front of his locker and she fought her way across the crowd to get to him.

"Hey." She said as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"How was your lunch?" He asked. She shrugged.

"All right; Pony and I kinda got into it, though." She said.

"How come?" Steve put some of his text books in his locker.

She shook her head. "Just stupid stuff; he'll get over it. Hey," She said, remembering suddenly. "I'm going to Kathy's after school, so I don't need you to drive me home, okay?"

"Okay…" He said. "You and Kathy are getting' to be pretty good friends, huh?"

"Yeah." She answered. The warning bell rang. "Hey, I gotta go. Call me when you get home from work, okay?"

He pecked her cheek again. "Will do."

The rest of AJ's day passed fairly quickly. She met Kathy out by her truck, an old Dodge.

"Ready to do this?" She asked and AJ nodded.

Kathy lived on East Hawthorne, closer to the middle class, but still on greaser turf.

"My Mom's gonna be home with my little brother and sister; I'm just gonna tell her we're working on a school project together." She said as she pulled into the driveway of her house.

Kathy's younger siblings turned out to be toddlers, twins with her strawberry blonde locks.

"You're brother and sister are a lot younger than you." AJ commented once they were in Kathy's room.

"Yeah, Tommy and Tammy are from my Mom's second marriage." She explained. "Me and Bobby are from her first."

AJ knew from Two-Bit that Kathy's big brother, Bobby, was a member of the Tigers gang.

"All right." Kathy said. "The first thing you need to know about fighting is don't be afraid to fight dirty, cause you can bet your ass that Evie will."

"Okay." AJ nodded. She felt stupid; she'd rather avoid this all together and walk away, but she knew that Evie wouldn't and she wanted to be prepared.

"Like I said, go for her earrings." Kathy continued. "Hell, kick her in the crotch if you have to."

"Would that work?" AJ was surprised. "I mean, I thought only guys…"

"No." Kathy laughed. "It hurts for girls too. One time, when me and Bobby were kids, he accidentally kicked me there. Holy crap, I thought I was dyin'!"

"Good to know." AJ mused.

She and Kathy spent another hour or so talking, then AJ had to get home. She was surprised to see Alice's car when Kathy dropped her off.

"Thanks." She said to her new friend. Kathy nodded and smiled.

"Anytime, kiddo."

"Hey." Alice said when AJ walked into the house. "Where were you?"

"Oh, I was at Kathy Barrett's house." She answered, dropping her book bag on the floor. "She was giving me some fighting tips."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "I was kidding the other day, you know." She said. "Is Evie really serious about fighting you? Over_ Steve_?"

AJ nodded. "Apparently. And what's wrong with Steve?"

Alice shook her head. "Nothing…it's just…stupid. I mean, you didn't ask him to dump her, did you?"

"No…" AJ trailed off.

"So instead of being mad at him for breaking up with her, she'd rather blame you." Alice shook her head again. "Dumbass girl."

"I don't want to fight her." AJ admitted. "But she's gunning for me…what else can I do?"

Alice looked at her. She picked up Kimmy. "Get in the car."

"What?" AJ asked.

"Get in the car." Alice repeated. "I'm gonna take care of this right now."

"Okay…"

It took them about ten minutes to get to Evie's house.

"Wait here with Kimmy." Alice said, climbing out.

She walked up the front walk and knocked on the Young's front door. Evie answered it and looked surprised to see Alice there.

"Can I help you?" She asked in a snotty voice.

"Look, bitch you better back off my sister." Alice began in a low voice. Evie sneered.

"What're you gonna do about it?" She asked.

"I'll kick your white trash ass myself." Alice answered. "She didn't steal your boyfriend, all right? Instead of going around blaming her, why don't you ask yourself why you couldn't keep him, hmm? And believe me, if you wanna fight someone, you can fight me." She took a step closer. Evie wasn't sneering now. She knew Alice was serious and could probably kick her ass. She just nodded and shut the door in Alice's face.

AJ sat in the car, wondering what the hell was going on. "What did you say to her?" She asked as her big sister climbed back into the car.

"I told her to leave you alone or she'd have to deal with me." Alice said simply. "She ain't gonna mess with you anymore."

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, I gotta admit, I'm not too thrilled with how this chapter turned out, but I did what I could. I just maily wanted to further Kathy and AJ's friendship and show that Evie was just a lot of hot air. The next chapter we're gonna start getting into the happenings of the book**


	23. In For Nasty Weather

_I see a bad moon arising  
I see trouble on the way  
I see earthquakes and lightnin'  
I see bad times today  
Well, don't come around tonight  
It's bound to take your life  
There's a bad moon on the rise_

_-Creedence Clearwater Revival_

* * *

"Hey AJ!"

It was a Friday afternoon and AJ was lying on the couch with her eyes shut when Pony stuck his head in the front door.

"Hmm?" She asked. She'd been sick the night before, and had stayed home from school that day.

"You feeling any better, kid?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I'm not throwing up anymore, but my head is killing me." She told him, not even opening her eyes.

"I'm going to see the new Paul Newman." He told her. "I thought, if you were feeling better, you might wanna go."

She shook her head again. "As much as I love Paul Newman…I don't think my head can take it." She told him. "Besides, I'm trying to feel better by tomorrow night; Steve wants to take me to the game."

It took all of Pony's willpower to keep from making a face. He loved AJ like she was his sister, but he didn't understand what she saw in Steve. Of course, Steve _was_ better than Jesse, but still…

"Whatever." He said. "It's cool. Is Amy around, maybe she wants to go?"

"She's hanging out with Angel." AJ answered. Pony started.

"Angel Shepard?" He asked in surprise. "Since when are those two friends?"

"Since Alice forced them into that sleepover together." AJ answered. She sipped some 7-Up and made a face; she hated clear soda. "I guess they found some kind of common ground."

"That's great." Ponyboy said sarcastically. "Those two together; they're liable to take over the world."

"Yep." AJ said. "World domination is their ultimate goal…after their plans to kidnap Paul Anka, of course."

"Really?" Ponyboy asked. "Paul Anka?"

"Hey, he's pretty cute." AJ replied. "I wouldn't mind."

"But I bet Steve would." Pony countered, grinning. She threw a throw pillow at him, and he easily dodged it. "Hey, I'm gonna go. Hope you get to feeling better, AJ."

"Thanks, Pone." She said.

She wasn't sure how long she lay there, in that hazy space between sleeping and wake. It seemed like only minutes, but when Steve knocked on the door and came in, she was surprised to see dusk setting in.

"How you feeling, baby?" He asked, laying his hand on her forehead. She smiled at his concern.

"A little better." She answered, struggling to sit up. She hated for him to see her like this, sick and in her pajamas, but hell, he'd seen her in worse.

"You feel well enough to come sit on Soda's porch with us for awhile?" He asked. AJ thought about it, and then nodded.

"AJ," Two-Bit said as she followed Steve up onto the front porch. "You look like hell."

"Shut up, asshole." Steve growled at their friend. He sat down on the porch swing and AJ sat beside him. "Ignore him." He told her. "I think you're beautiful no matter what."

"Aww." Sodapop crooned. "Aren't you two sweet? Makes me wanna vomit."

"Hey, we're no worse than you and Sandy." Steve shot back. AJ closed her eyes and laid her head against Steve's shoulder.

"Hey," Two-Bit sat up quickly. "Would you look at who's coming up the street?"

AJ opened her eyes to see what he was talking about. "Dally!" She said in surprise. "What's he doing out already?"

It took AJ a second to realize Johnny was with him. "Hey, greaser, when'd you get sprung?" Soda asked as they came into the front yard.

"This afternoon." Dally answered. "They let me out early for good behavior."

"Since when do you behave?" Steve asked and Dal flipped him the finger. He looked between Steve and AJ, cuddled up pretty as you please on the swing. A smirk formed across his face.

"Shit, you two finally get your act together?" He asked. Sodapop laughed out loud.

"Yeah, and they've been making the rest of us sick ever since." He said.

Steve opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, Darry roared up in the pickup. "That's what I like to see when I get home." He said, coming up the front walk. "A bunch of lazy bums on my porch. And AJ, too. When did they let you out, Dal?"

"Today." Dallas answered, grinning.

"Pop a squat, my good man." Two-Bit told Darry. "You wanna beer?"

"Oh, I think I do." Darry sat down on the steps, heaving a sigh. He turned around to look at Steve and AJ. He, like everyone else, still couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that they were dating. "How you feelin', kiddo?" He asked.

"Like death warmed over." She answered.

"You gonna be able to go to the game tomorrow night?" Soda asked in concern. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need to sleep it off." She replied.

"If you need to sleep it off, why you sitting out here?" Two-Bit asked. She shrugged.

"I guess I missed your ugly mug, Bit." She retorted, sticking out her tongue. Two-Bit grinned and shook his head.

"Shit, you need to get a muzzle on your girl there, Randle." He said. "She's mouthy."

AJ flipped him off and Steve rolled his eyes. "I'll keep an eye on what she reads from now on." He said sarcastically.

There was a lull in the conversation and AJ enjoyed the quiet for a second. She wrapped her fingers around Steve's and grinned at him when he squeezed her hand.

The silence was shattered a few seconds later, however, when they heard the faint sounds of someone yelling.

_"Darry! Sodapop! Darry_!"

"Is that Ponyboy?" She asked, looking around.

"_Help me_!"

"AJ, stay here!" Steve commanded as they all took off towards the lot.

"But…" She started to rise, but Steve shook his head.

"Just stay here!" He shouted.

AJ sat back down on the swing, pulling her feet up underneath her and wrapping her arms around herself. She tried not to think of Johnny and how beaten he had been, but she couldn't help letting her mind wonder to the cuts on Johnny's face and how he had broken down and cried. Johnny, who she'd seen take welts from his father without batting an eye, bawling on her sofa like a toddler...

She tried to push these thought from her head and curled herself up into a ball on the porch swing.

It was a good fifteen minutes before the guys came home and she stood up quickly when they approached.

"You all right, Ponyboy?" She called out, nearly breathless with worry.

"Yeah, I'm good." He answered, trying to grin at her, but she could see he was still shaken up. "I guess it's a good thing you were too sick to go with me, AJ."

"Yeah." She said. She looked more closely at him, or specifically, at the nick on his neck. "Ponyboy, did they pull a blade on you?"

He ducked his head. "Yeah." He said.

AJ was gobsmacked. "Holy shit." She said quietly. She felt dizzy all of a sudden, grasping Steve for support.

"You all right?" He asked, looking down at her. She nodded, but Steve wrapped his arm around her waist anyway. "Come on, girly, I'm gonna take you home."

AJ said goodbye to her friends and allowed Steve to escort her back to her couch. "Stay for a while, won't you?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yeah." He sat on the couch and she put her pillow on his lap, laying her head there. "I can't get over how stupid that kid is sometimes."

AJ looked up at him. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, hell, back when Johnny got jumped we told y'all not to be walkin' all over God's green earth by yourselves." He said. "And of course it'd be_ him_ who didn't listen and got jumped."

AJ sat up. "What do you mean; _of course it'd be him_?"

"Well, the kid don't try real hard to fit in." Steve realized, too late, that he may have been digging himself into a hard hole to get out of.

"What's your problem with Ponyboy?" She demanded. "Cause he's my best friend and if you got a problem with him, then you must have one with me, too."

Steve sighed. "I don't have a problem with him, or with you." He said. "It just amazes me that the kid-."

AJ cut him off. "Ponyboy; his name is Ponyboy, not_ kid._ Can't you even call him by his name?"

He bit off another sigh. What had brought this on? "Fine. It just amazes me that _Ponyboy_ is so smart, but never uses his head." He looked at her and his eyes seemed to soften. "Look, I don't dislike him, all right? He just irritates me sometimes is all."

She laid her head back down, satisfied. "Do I irritate you sometimes?" She asked. He paused, unsure how to answer such a loaded question.

"Not anymore." He finally answered and she laughed.

"Good answer." She told him.

* * *

The next evening, AJ felt like she was well enough to go to the game. She down some Advil that her mother insisted she take and took a blanket to cover up with in the stands.

She and Steve were sitting in the front seat and Soda and Sandy in the back. Ever since Alice had confronted Evie, Sandy had been much friendlier to her. AJ was sure it was fake, mainly because they didn't want to tangle with Alice, but it made things more pleasant at least.

"Who're we playing tonight?" Soda asked.

"Muskogee." Sandy answered. "Word is they've got an awesome defense this year and they're hard to beat."

"Shit, our guys can take 'em." Steve said, waving his hand. "We've got a pretty good team, too."

"Not as good as when Darry played." Soda replied and AJ had to agree.

"Yeah, well I just hope that concession stand is selling funnel cakes this time." Sandy said. "I love those things."

"Ohh, me too." AJ turned around in her seat. "I was pissed when they didn't sell them last season."

Sandy grinned and for once AJ thought it might've been genuine. "So was I."

Steve breathed a silent sigh of relief. It seemed like AJ and Sandy might maybe get along. He'd heard through the grapevine that Alice had threatened Evie if she didn't leave AJ alone and he guessed it had worked. He had to admit, though, that the idea of two girls fighting over him had boosted his ego quite a bit; at least until Two-Bit had pointed out that Evie was mostly likely talking shit to save face rather than because she was so in love with him.

"You _sure_ you're feeling better?" He asked AJ for the umpteenth time. She sighed.

"_Yes_, Steve." Then she smiled. "I promise I feel tons better. And I brought a blanket if I get cold."

He grinned. "Do you mind sharing?"

"Not at all."

"Oh God." Sodapop sighed. "Are you guys gonna watch the game or play grabby-grabby under that quilt?"

"Can't we do both?" AJ asked and Steve grinned.

This was why she was_ his_ girl.

Sandy had been right; Muskogee's team was tough, but not tough enough. Will Rogers beat them by two points.

"Whoo!" Soda whooped. "Go Ropers!"

Steve brushed some powdered sugar off his face, from where he and AJ had shared a huge funnel cake. "Man, I wish they would've come up with a better mascot."

Soda rolled his eyes. "We go through this every time. We're called the Ropers because the actual Will Rogers got famous because of his roping skills."

"How the hell do you know that?" Sandy asked, looking at him in surprise. Soda sniffed.

"I know things." He said mysteriously. AJ rolled her eyes at him.

"Puh-lease." She said. She looked at Sandy. "He only knows that because Ponyboy had to do a paper on Will Rogers last year."

"You guys wanna go get some pizza or something?" Soda asked and Sandy giggled.

Most of the school was at the pizzeria, greasers and soc's alike. The two groups didn't mix on principle and tonight was no different; they were on opposite sides of the restaurant.

About two hours later, Steve pulled into Soda's driveway, behind Darry's truck. He was spending the night with Sodapop.

"I'll walk you home." He said. Soda smirked and headed inside.

"I had a good time tonight." She said. "I'm glad we went."

"Me too." He glanced at his watch. "You know, you still have eight minutes till your curfew…"

She grinned. "What ever can we do to fill that time?"

"Oh, I've got a few ideas." He wrapped his arms around her waist drawing her closer to him.

Even though they'd been dating for a few weeks, they hadn't moved much past second base. Steve wanted to (God did he want to!) but he knew that after the Jesse fiasco that he shouldn't push her. Tonight though, she was the one pressing herself against him, her lips moving on his neck. He ran his hands up and down her ribs, under her shirt and felt her shiver against him.

And then Ms. Nora started flipping the porch light on and off, her not-so-subtle signal for AJ to come in.

"I've gotta go." She whispered.

"I know." He whispered back.

"I'll see you in the morning?"

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Count on it."

AJ fell asleep quickly that night, dreams of Steve and all the things she wished they were doing rushing through her mind. She awoke with a start several hours later. Glancing at her clock, she saw that it was just a little after two in the morning. What had woken her up?

She heard it then; the sound of someone shouting. It sounded like her Mom. Quietly she got out of bed and crept down the hallway. Amy was awake and sitting in the front room.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Amy looked up at her, startled. "Ponyboy and Darry were fighting." She said. "Mom's over there now."

"Why? What happened?"

"Pony fell asleep in the lot and came home really late and Darry was pissed…he hit Ponyboy."

AJ looked at her younger sister sharply. "What?" Amy nodded.

"He's sorry about it, you can tell…but Pony took off. We don't know where he is."

"What's Mom shouting about?" AJ asked.

"I think she's chewing Darry out and good for being so hard on him." Amy shrugged. "She said to wait here; that he'd be back soon."

Amy and AJ waited on the couch for hours, with no sign of Pony, and they both fell asleep. The next time they were woken up, it was to the sounds of police sirens.


	24. Gone

**Author's Note: I would have had this up a little sooner, but there was some kind of fire or something in a town near here and the entire county has been without internet all day. Yes, I nearly died, not being able to check my email and Facebook. Oh, and I got distracted by the new episode of Dallas. I'm slowing becoming OBSESSED with that show! Also, I know several people have asked me not to let Johnny and Dally die, but I gotta stay true to the book. Believe me, I thought about it, but I just can't do it. I've already gotten Steve and AJ together sooner than I intended, I don't want to stray any further from canon than I already have.**

* * *

_And I wonder_

_Still I wonder_

_Who'll stop the rain?_

_-Creedence Clearwater Revival_

* * *

"What do you mean, he's gone?" AJ asked incredulously.

Steve shrugged. "The cops…they said that Pony and Johnny…well, they're missing." He told her quietly. His eyes shifted, though, and AJ felt a leaden feeling in her chest.

"What else?" She asked. "There's something you're not telling me, Steve."

Steve sighed. He knew he shouldn't try to hide this from her, that she'd find out on her own soon enough, and then she'd be angry at him for not telling her…but he couldn't help wanting to protect her.

"What is it?" She asked again.

"A soc was killed last night. In the park." He said finally and AJ's eyes popped. "And his friends…well, they're claiming it was Johnny that killed him."

"What?" AJ gasped. "Johnny Cade wouldn't hurt a fly!"

Steve shrugged. His whole body felt like a tightly wound spring. "We know that, but of course the fuzz won't listen. They've got this picture of Johnny as some cold blooded killer."

"And…and Ponyboy?" She asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

"He's with Johnny." He answered simply. "That's all we know."

AJ's legs felt like water and she wobbled. "I need to sit down." She said. Steve led her to the couch and helped her sit. She looked up into his handsome face, his curly dark hair and blue eyes. "How're Darry and Soda?"

"Not good." He answered. "Darry especially…he's flipping out."

"Did he really hit Ponyboy?" Amy asked, coming into the living room. She sat down on Steve's other side, her eyes wide and frightful. Steve felt a little helpless; unsure of how to deal with two upset girls.

"Yeah." He said finally. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself."

The butterflies in AJ's stomach increased ten-fold. Both of her best friends were missing and they were just sitting around. "What's being done to find them?" She asked Steve. He shrugged.

"I dunno." He said. "Two-Bit's making noises about going after them."

"What about Dally?" Amy asked. "He's like Johnny's big brother; I'm sure he's pretty torn up."

"You know, now that's weird." Steve said, something clicking into place. "We ain't seen him all morning."

"Really?" Amy's eyebrows drew together. "That is weird."

"Well, Two-Bit says he got into with Tim Shepard last night. Curly saw Dal slashing the tires of Tim's car." Steve told them. "He might just be sleeping that off."

"Yeah…" Amy said slowly. "Maybe…"

"Is it safe for us to go next door?" AJ asked. "I wanna see Soda and Darry."

"Yeah." Steve said. "We can if you want."

He waited while both girls dressed and while AJ slipped on her shoes and Amy tied her long hair back into a sloppy braid.

"Ready?" He asked them and they both nodded.

The silence of the Curtis household nearly bowled AJ over. She was so used to it being noisy, people in and out all the time. Darry sat in his favorite armchair, staring idly out the window. Sodapop was stretched across the sofa; his eyes were shut, but AJ could tell he wasn't sleep because of the cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"Hey guys." She said quietly. "Y'all doing all right?"

Darry looked at her like he'd never seen her before. "We're…" He trailed off, not sure what to say and it was then that AJ saw he was crying. It was the final impossibility. "This is all my fault." He said. "If I hadn't hit him, he wouldn't have taken off."

"You can't worry yourself with 'what ifs'." Amy told him. "What's done is done and you can't change it, no matter how bad you want to."

Darry looked at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "When'd you get so wise, kiddo?"

She shrugged. "Around the time I started my period." She answered matter of factly.

"Amy!" AJ hissed, looking at her. "Good God!"

Amy ignored her. "Have you two eaten?" She asked, looking between Darry and Soda. Soda shook his head.

"No…we're not overly hungry, you know?" He said, finally opening his eyes.

Amy stood up. "Y'all need to eat a little something; I'll make you some sandwiches." She said, heading towards the kitchen.

AJ looked after her sister, surprised by her take charge attitude. She glanced at Steve and could see he was surprised as well.

Two-Bit came in quietly. "Hey." He said, sitting on the arm of AJ's chair. "You hear anything yet?"

Darry shook his head. "No. I hate this; just sitting around here. Shouldn't we be out looking for them?"

"Where would we even start?" Soda asked, sitting up. He snubbed out his Kool and lit another.

"I, uh, have an idea about that." Steve told them. He'd been thinking about it since Amy had said it; it was weird that Dallas hadn't come around yet.

"Where?" Soda asked hopefully.

"I think we need to go out to Buck's and see Dally." He answered. "Think about it: if them boys were in that kinda trouble, Dallas is the natural first choice and why hasn't he been around all day? I mean, shit, it's nearly noon."

"I wanna go with you." Soda said. His eyes darted to Darry, almost daring him to stop him from going; but Darry was too distracted to even think about Soda going out to Buck's to see Dallas.

"I'm going too." AJ said. Steve started to shake his head.

"I don't think-." He started to say, but AJ held up her hand, cutting him off.

"Ponyboy and Johnny are my best friends." She said. "Don't you even think about telling me I can't come along. If Dally knows something; I wanna hear it."

"All right." Steve held his hands up in surrender, knowing better than to argue. "Let's go."

"Where are you guys going?" Amy came back in, carrying two Pb and j sandwiches and two glasses of milk.

"We're going to talk to Dallas." Soda said. Amy looked down at the food she'd made.

"You're not going anywhere till you eat something." She told him. He started to smirk; like a twelve-year-old was gonna tell him what to do. He started to rise, but stopped at the look on Amy's face.

"Not. Till. You. Eat. Something." She said fiercely. He blinked and sat back down.

"All right." He said meekly, accepting the sandwich and milk.

Darry took his too and the two brothers ate, Sodapop like he was in a competition. He downed the milk in two long gulps.

"Done!" He said, swiping his hand across his upper lip to wipe away the milk mustache.

"I'm going with these two." AJ told her sister. "You gonna stay here?"

Amy shot a quick glance at Darry, who was now picking at the crust of his sandwich, looking out the window again. "I think I better." She said. Two-Bit, who had taken Soda's vacant seat, patted the cushion beside him and Amy sat.

"Don't worry." He said. "Ames and I can hold down the fort here."

"Okay."

The ride out to Buck's roadhouse was a quiet one. AJ sat in the front seat between Soda and Steve. She reached over and grasped Soda's hand, squeezing his fingers. "He'll be all right." She said to him.

Soda looked at her and smiled sadly. "I hope you're right."

AJ had been outside of Buck's numerous times, but she'd never set foot in the door. It was something she, Pony, and Johnny had speculated about continuously and she couldn't wait to brag that she'd been inside.

Then she realized that if Steve's hunch was right, that Pony and Johnny would have beaten her to it.

She followed the boys inside. To her surprise, it didn't look like a bar inside. No, it looked like a regular house. A very dirty house. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of mildew and beer.

"It's disgusting in here." She whispered. Steve nodded.

"I know." He replied. "It's gross, huh?"

The three of them picked their way across the room, towards the stairs. AJ reached out and grabbed Steve's hand. They followed Soda, who took the stairs two at a time. He walked down the hallway, and AJ briefly wondered how Soda knew which room was Dally, seeing as Darry had forbidden him to come here, too. She didn't have time to dwell on it, though, as Soda stopped in front of the second door on the left. He banged loudly on the door.

Silence.

Soda sighed and banged again, even louder.

Boom, boom, boom. The door reverberated with each blow. Finally, after several seconds, they heard movement inside. Dally wrenched the door open.

"What the fuck, man?" He said. "This had better be good!"

"Where's my brother?" Soda demanded. Dally looked at him and yawned hugely. He was dressed in nothing but his jockeys and AJ looked away from him.

Dally grinned at her obvious embarrassment. "Which brother are you talking about?" He drawled lazily.

"Don't bullshit with me, Winston." Soda growled and AJ started at the sound of his voice. She'd never heard him speak in that tone. Gone was the laughing, easy going Sodapop. This was a man she didn't know. "I know you know where they are."

"I don't know crap, man." Dally held his hands up. "I been here all night, ask anyone. I got into with Shepard; I think he broke some of my ribs."

"So you're telling me that Johnny and Ponyboy weren't here at all last night?" Steve demanded. "You don't know nothin' about that soc that got killed?"

Dally shook his head, but even AJ didn't buy his carefully arranged face.

"You don't know nothing, huh?" Soda asked, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"I told you I don't."

"Then what's this?" Soda pushed past Dally, into his room, and scooped up a dark blue sweatshirt, a sweatshirt that had the sleeves cut off. AJ immediately recognized it as the shirt Ponyboy had been wearing the day before.

"That's…mine…" Dally insisted, rather lamely.

Before AJ or Steve even realized what was happening, Soda had slammed his fist into Dallas's nose. Blood spurted from his nostrils and he wiped it away, but didn't fight back.

"Where are they, Dally?" Steve asked, his voice soft and bitter. "We know you know."

"All right." Dally sighed loudly, then winced, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine; they were here, okay? You happy now? They were here and I, uh, sent them on to Texas."

"Texas?" AJ asked skeptically.

"Yeah, Texas." He said.

AJ didn't know whether to believe him or not.

* * *

**Auther's Note: Whoo! Lots more drama to come, so stay tuned!**


	25. In the Library

**Author's Notes: Okay, I went back through some past chapters and made a few changes. First of all, I decided I'd rather Steve, Evie, and Kathy be in the 11th grade instead of the 12th. It just seems better to me. Also, I realized I made a mistake with the lunchtime thing. Back inchapter two, I had Pony and AJ going to lunch with Two-Bit and Steve, and then in chapter twenty-two, I said that the upperclassmen had a different lunch hour than the lowerclassmen. That was just me not paying attention, so i went back and changed it. They all have the same lunchtime now! Okay, so that's all and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Pardon me_

_While I burst into flames_

_I've had enough of this world_

_And it's people's mindless games_

_So pardon me while I burn_

_And rise above the flames_

_Pardon me_

_I'll never be the same_

_-Incubus_

* * *

It was now Wednesday afternoon; it had been three days since Ponyboy and Johnny had disappeared and no one was any closer to knowing where they were.

At Will Rogers, things had gotten pretty tense. Several scuffles had broken out in the hallways and the greaser's were constantly having to be on guard, but especially Two-Bit and Steve, seeing as they were friends of Johnny and Ponyboy. No one had tried to mess with AJ yet, but that could be because Steve was escorting AJ to all her classes and Curly was shadowing her every time Steve was unable to.

In fact, on this particular afternoon, AJ sat with Curly and another greaser named Jason, in study hall. The study hall monitor, Mrs. Perry, who had been at Will Rogers for nineteen years, was possibly the toughest teacher in the school. She was blunt with her criticisms and sparse with her praise. She'd grown up on the East side and lost her husband in Korea.

AJ adored her.

The three of them were working on various homework projects, Jason and AJ on US History, which they had together, and Curly on Math.

"Okay," Curly whispered. "Here's how this word problem reads to me: if I have four ink pens and you have seven pears, how many waffles will fit on the hood of a car?"

AJ stared at him. "And what answer did you get?"

Curly looked at his sheet of paper. "Red, because cows don't wear sunglasses."

Jason, a short guy with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes, shook his head. "Shepard, you're a dumbass."

"So's your Mama." Curly shot back. Jason flipped him off. AJ stifled a small laugh and stuck her nose back into her history book. "Jason, what did you get for number sixteen?"

Jason consulted his paper. "I'm not there yet, I'm stuck on twelve."

AJ looked over his shoulder. "What is the definition of States Rights?" She glanced at her own answer. "I've got 'citizens of every state had the right to take their property anywhere in the U.S. and not have it taken away'."

"Hmm. Sounds good to me." Jason scribbled that answer down. Curly looked at it.

"I can't even read your writing, man." He said. AJ rolled her eyes.

"Curly, like you can talk; you've got the handwriting of a mental patient." She said and Jason snickered. "Now shut up, so I can figure this out."

She looked at question sixteen again. It was the last question on the sheet and wanted a description on Oklahoma's stance during the Civil War. She timidly raised her hand. Mrs. Perry looked up from the paperback she was reading.

"Yes, Miss Adare?"

"Um…I need your help."

Mrs. Perry made her way over. She was a tiny stick of a woman, but AJ had seen her get into many a greaser's face.

"What do you need?" Mrs. Perry peered over her shoulder, reading the paper. "Who do you have for American History, Abigail?"

"Mr. Clutts." AJ answered. Mrs. Perry rolled her eyes.

"I should've known; that man is an incompetent nincompoop." She said. Curly hacked a laugh and Mrs. Perry turned her icy glaze on him.

"Something amuses you, Charles?"

He shook his head, trying to keep from laughing again. "No, ma'am."

"Then I suggest you return to your work." She looked at AJ's paper again. "Oklahoma was known as the Indian Territory in those days and many of the slave-holding Native American tribes supported the Confederacy."

"So we stood with the South, basically?" AJ asked and Mrs. Perry gave her one of her rare smiles.

"Basically." She glanced at the clock. "You have time to run down to the library, if you want to read about it in detail."

"Um, ma'am, I'm working on the same worksheet, can I go too?" Jason asked. She nodded.

"You may, Mr. Downs." She said. Curly sighed and sunk lower into his seat. Mrs. Perry raised her brows at him. "Are you finished, Mr. Shepard?"

"Yes, ma'am." He said. She nodded.

"Then you may go as well."

Curly stood up, barely believing his good luck.

The three of them high-tailed it to the library as quick as they could.

"I can't believe Attila the Hun let me leave with y'all!" Curly said.

AJ looked at him sharply.

"Don't call her that." She said. "She's pretty cool."

"Yeah," Jason agreed. "For a teacher."

"And it was a good idea to ask her about the Civil War." Curly added. "I mean, she's the only person in the school who was actually alive while it was going on…"

It took AJ a moment to realize what he'd said. When she did, she laughed quietly and walloped Curly on the arm. "You're such an ass." She told him.

It felt good to laugh, she thought, even if it was only for a few seconds. Being with Curly and Jason made her feel almost like she was with Pony and Johnny again. Almost, but not quite.

They quieted down when they got to the library. AJ headed over to the librarian, Ms. Millison. She was a young woman; this was only her second year as the school's librarian. She had gone to Will Rogers herself, as a member of the jet set. She looked very surprised to see three greasers in her library. AJ wasn't sure why she was so surprised, she and Pony were in there all the time.

"Hi, Ms. Millison." AJ marched up to the counter, Curly and Jason slouching like hoods behind her. "We're looking for books on the Civil War."

"Oh, yes, well they're over in the History section." Ms. Millison flipped through the card catalog. "317-325 in the non-fiction area."

"Okay, thanks!" AJ said brightly.

"Geez, AJ, you sure know how to work the Mary Sunshine angle, don'tcha?" Curly asked quietly. AJ grinned and headed over towards where the non-fiction was kept.

She pulled a few of the books off the shelf and the three of them sat down at a table to look through them.

They weren't there but for maybe ten minutes when AJ felt eyes on her. She looked up and saw two older soc's glaring at them from across the room.

"Shit." She muttered.

"What?" Curly asked. "What's wrong?"

"Don't look now, but there are two of the socially elite staring daggers at us." She whispered. Curly and Jason both looked up.

"Dammit." Jason said. "What, they're gonna start shit in the freakin' library?"

"Apparently." Curly replied. "Here they come."

AJ could tell by the size of them that they were seniors. "You're friends with them greasers that killed Bob, aren't you?" One asked. It took AJ a second to realize they were talking to her.

"Yeah…so what if I am?" She asked, trying to put on a tough voice.

"Bob was our friend." The other one said. "And we don't like it when people kill our friends."

"Yeah, and we enjoy it when people kill ours." Jason said sarcastically. "Look, we're trying to study here, so unless you gents got something important to say to AJ, hit the damn road."

"You better just watch your step, girly." The first soc said to her. "Sometimes little girl greasers get hurt."

AJ tried to look as tough as Jason and Curly did, despite the chill that ran down her spine. "And sometimes dumbass soc's do too." She said coolly.

"Is that a threat, you little bitch?" The soc asked.

Curly stood up. He could take a lot from these idiots, but he wasn't gonna sit there and let them disrespect his friend like that. Besides, he had promised Randle, on the sly, that he'd keep an eye on her.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that." He hissed, balling his fist. Jason stood too.

"What're you two gonna do about it?" The soc asked. Curly flicked out his blade and AJ groaned.

"Dammit, Curly, put it away before someone see's it!" She hissed, but it was too late; Ms. Millison had already spotted them.

And that's how, twenty minutes later, AJ found herself in the principal's office, sitting on the bench between Curly and Jason.

"Ms. Millison says you flipped out a knife in the library." Mr. McLean, the principal, said.

"Those jerks were threatening my friend!" Curly defended himself. "And in case you ain't noticed, she's a girl. I don't know about you, but I was taught to defend girls."

AJ looked around nervously. She'd never been in the principal's office before. In fact the only time she ever really saw Mr. McLean was during the various assemblies through out the school year. This thought only made her feel sad, remembering how Ponyboy would whine McLean's "catchphrase" in her ear, making her laugh.

"_The principal is your pal with principles!" _

"Miss Adare?" He was speaking to her, AJ realized with a start. "Can you tell me what happened? Start at the beginning."

"Well, me and Jason and Curly…I mean, Charles," She corrected, remembering that he wouldn't know Curly's nickname. "We had study hall this hour and Mrs. Perry gave us permission to go down to the library and look up some stuff on the Civil War, because we're studying it in Mr. Clutts class and we were just sitting there minding our own business when these guys came up." She paused.

"They asked me if I was friends with Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade and I said yes. Then they told me that they were friends of that guy that got killed." She paused again, and swallowed. "And they said I had better watch my back, because sometimes girls like me got hurt. And when they threatened me again, Curly pulled out his blade. I swear, Mr. McLean, he was just trying to defend me."

"Yes, well, be that as it may, weapons aren't allowed on school property. Miss Adare, Mr. Downs, seeing as this is a first offense for both of you, I'm going to let you off with a warning. Mr. Shepard, however, given your track record, you're suspended the rest of the week." He said. Curly opened his mouth to argue, but AJ stepped on his foot and he didn't say anything.

By the time they got out of the principals office, it was time for their next class.

"Thanks, Curly." AJ said, giving him a quick hug. He was waiting for Tim to come pick him up.

"Don't worry about it, kid." He told her, his freckled face turning faintly pink. "Just watch your back, all right?"

She nodded. "All right."

She stuck with Jason the rest of the day, glad they had their last two classes together. After they got out of English, Steve was waiting for her.

"Hey," he said. "I heard you got called down to see McLean. What happened?"

With help from Jason, she told him quickly. Steve shook his head. "This shit is getting out of control." He said. "McLean suspended Curly for defending you?"

"Yeah." AJ twisted her mouth. "Of course, the goons who started it didn't even get a slap on the wrist."

"Of course not." Steve said, his tone bitter.

Something had to be done. He didn't know what yet, but something had to be done.


	26. Come Crash Into Me

**Author's Notes: Okay, some mild sexual content in this chapter, nothing too bad, but I just wanted to give a warning!**

* * *

_Sweet like candy to my soul_

_Sweet you rock_

_And sweet you roll_

_Lost for you_

_I'm so lost for you_

_Come, crash into me_

_-Dave Matthews Band_

* * *

"I can't believe Curly got suspended because of those idiots." AJ leaned her head back against the seat of Steve's car.

Steve shook his head, but didn't say anything. He thought with AJ hanging around Curly that the Soc's would be left alone, but obviously not. He looked in his rearview mirror, catching sight of Amy.

"How about you, short stack?" He asked her. "Anyone messing with you?"

Amy shook her head. "No…but I honestly don't think any of my classmates even know I know Ponyboy or Johnny that well and I haven't been at the high school long enough for any of the upperclassmen to know who I am."

Steve nodded; this was true. Amy was in the advanced placement classes, where the kids were more worried about their grades then anything else.

He dropped the girls off in front of their house and headed on to work.

"Hey." Soda said as he came through the door of the breakroom. Soda, who was working the evening shift along with Steve that week, was preparing to clock in.

"Hey Pop," Steve pulled his coveralls on.

"Hey," Soda said again. "Was Sandy at school today?"

"Yeah." Steve answered. "I saw her in the hallway a couple of times. Why?"

Soda shrugged. "I haven't heard from her lately. I tried to call her house last night, but he Dad said she was in bed, that she wasn't feeling well."

Steve thought back to the few times he'd seen her throughout the day, laughing and talking to her friends. "Well, she seemed all right to me."

Soda shrugged, but Steve could tell it bothered him. "Oh well." He said. "Anything happen at school today?"

Steve hesitated, not sure if he should tell him, but Soda had known his best friend for too long. He could read his face like a book. "What happened?" He asked.

"Curly Shepard got suspended." Steve said. Soda cocked an eyebrow.

"What else is new?" He asked. "That kid can find trouble anywhere, I swear it."

"He got suspended for pulling a blade on some soc's who were hassling AJ." Steve told him. Soda frowned.

"Hassling AJ?" He asked and Steve nodded.

"Yeah…for being friends with Pony and Johnny."

Soda shook his head, but before he could say anything, Arthur Kincade (who everyone simply called 'Cade'), who worked with them till five most weekdays, stuck his head into the breakroom.

"Y'all gonna clock in and get your asses out here, or are you gonna stand around jackin' your jaws like a couple of old biddies?" He asked. He was a tall, gangly redhead, with an open, friendly face. Everyone liked Cade; he just had one of those faces.

"We're comin', Cade." Steve said. "Keep your pants on."

"Please do." Soda added. He punched in his time card and Steve did the same and they left the breakroom. "So, is AJ all right?" He asked, going back to their previous conversation.

"Yeah." Steve answered. "A little shook up, but she's not hurt or anything. Man, this shit is getting out of control. Something's gotta be done."

"Yeah, well Darry said that Tim and Brandon stopped by his job site yesterday. They want to powwow with the head honcho's on the soc side." Soda told him. Steve raised his eyebrows.

"What do you think is gonna happen?" He asked. Soda shrugged.

"Darry thinks they're gonna wanna rumble." He answered.

Steve narrowed his eyes. "I hope they do." He said, thinking of the jerks that had threatened AJ.

Work went fairly smoothly that night, even considering how distracted Sodapop was. Steve knew he had a lot on his mind, with Ponyboy missing and Sandy obviously avoiding him, and now the talk of a rumble with the soc's.

Cade clocked out at five, when his wife and little girl came into get him. Steve eyed Terri Kincade, Cade's wife. She'd been a real fox in her day, he remembered, and even now with a five-year-old and another kid on the way, she still looked pretty good.

"Daddy!" The little girl, whose name Steve could never remember, flung herself at her dad.

"Hi, punkin." Cade scooped up his daughter. "I'll see you boys tomorrow." He said to Steve and Soda, settling the little girl on his hip. She had a halo of frizzy red curls and is filthy in the way only a kid can get. Steve normally doesn't have much time for kids, but he has to admit this one is pretty cute.

After Cade clocks out, the next four hours they work flies by quickly. Soda works the counter and the pumps, and Steve worked in the garage. After they clocked out, Steve dropped Soda off, and he saw AJ sitting out on her front steps. He parked his car and got out, going up to her.

"Hey," He said to her. AJ looked up and Steve saw she was crying. "Hey now, what's all this?" He sat down beside her.

AJ wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself, but she couldn't seem to get a grip on her tears. "I'm sorry." She told him a wobbly voice. "It's just…too much, you know? I miss them, Steve."

"I know you do." He said, awkwardly putting his arm around her. Upset girls were not his area of expertise. He patted her back and she laid her head against him.

"It's so weird, you know?" She said. "To see someone every single day and not think anything of it, then poof! They're gone like that. I don't know when…if…I'll ever see them again."

"Don't talk like that." Steve said, more sharply than he intended. "They'll both be home safe and sound soon, you'll see. By this time next week, Pony will be back to being a pain in my ass."

AJ couldn't help but smile at this. "Promise?" She asked. Steve nodded.

"I guarantee it." He said. He looked at the sky, the growing darkness, and an idea struck him. "You wanna take a ride with me?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah. Let me make sure it's all right with my Mom."

She went in the house and came back out of few minutes later. "She said it was okay, as long as you have me home by eleven."

Steve looked at his watch. It was 9:15. "I can do that." He said.

In the front seat of his car, she snuggled against him and Steve grinned. Now, where to take her? It came to him quickly, and he made a right turn, heading out of town.

It took AJ a few minutes to realize where they were headed. "The swimming hole?" She asked. "Kinda cool for that, don't you think?"

Steve shrugged. "For swimming, sure, but not for just sitting by the water. Besides, I have a blanket in the trunk if we get too cold."

AJ didn't even wanna ask why he had a blanket in the trunk of his car, knowing it was probably from the nights his father had thrown him out and he slept in his backseat.

Steve spread the blanket on the ground near the banks of the water and they sat on it.

AJ looked up at him in the moonlight. He felt her gaze and looked back at her, grinning.

"What?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I was just thinking how much I wanted to kiss you." She said and his smile grew.

"Oh, I think that could be arranged."

They sat on the blanket, making out for several minutes, when AJ surprised the hell out of Steve by taking his hands and placing them on her breasts.

"AJ…" He whispered.

"Don't talk." She whispered back. "Just…just make me forget for awhile….please?"

AJ laid back on the blanket, with Steve looming over her, his hands and mouth on top of her clothes, then underneath. She sighed in contentment; it had never felt like this with Jesse. With him, it had been hurry up and get to the actual act. He never took his time with her like Steve was doing.

They kissed for a while longer, and then Steve felt AJ's fingers nimbly unbuttoning his jeans. Her hand slid inside, clamping around his most private part and he let out a hiss of air.

"Glory, AJ." He said, quietly thankful he had a condom in his wallet.

"I'm ready, Steve." She told him.

After they were finished, the two of them lay quietly, side-by-side, on the blanket.

"This wasn't exactly how I was planning our first time together." Steve told her. She rolled over on her side, smiling.

"Oh? You had a plan on how to get into my pants?" She asked wryly and he smiled back.

"Well…yeah…and it involved a bed." He answered. She reached her hand out, touching his cheek.

"This was perfect." She said. "Absolutely perfect.

I love you. The words bubbled up in Steve's throat and he bit his tongue before they could get out. He had never told a girl that before, not ever, not even Evie. Besides, he'd only been dating AJ six weeks. That wasn't enough time to fall in love.

Was it?

They lay there a few more minutes, and then Steve checked his watch. "I better get you home." He said. She nodded.

"Yeah."

When they got back to AJ's house, she saw Two-Bit on the Curtis' front porch, with Darry. It was weird, because Darry was usually asleep by now.

"I wonder what's going on." AJ asked.

"I don't know." Steve said. "But I'm gonna go find out."

The two of them hurried up to their friends.

"What's going on?" Steve asked.

"Curly and Dal go hauled in." Two-Bit told them.

"Why?" AJ asked, suddenly fearful.

"Well, they took Curly because he got into a fight with some soc's." Two-Bit replied. "The same ones he was trying to fight today at school."

AJ felt like the air was sucked from her lungs. "Oh no." She whispered, closing her eyes.

"What about Dally?" Steve asked.

"They said they wanted to talk to him about the stuff with Pony and Johnny." Two-Bit shrugged. "They took Tim in, too, but hell, they can't keep either of them without some kinda proof they were involved."

Darry looked from AJ to Steve and back again, taking in their disheveled state, the blades of dried grass stuck in AJ's hair. "Where have you two been?" He asked.

"Just out for a drive." Steve answered. "Hey, where's Sodapop?" He asked.

"He went over to Sandy's." Darry replied. "He said he was gonna find out why she was avoiding him."

They chatted on the front porch for a bit longer, when Soda pulled up in Darry's pickup.

"Hey, man." Steve said. "What's up…Soda?" He took in Soda's pale face and shaky demeanor. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Sodapop?" AJ reached out and touched his arm. "You all right?"

"Sandy's moving to Florida." He said in a strangled voice. "She's going to live with her grandma."

"What? Why?" Two-Bit asked. Soda looked at him, his eyes slightly hollow.

"She's pregnant."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Dun dun DUN! Oh, and happy Friday the 13th everyone!**


	27. Sandy's Confession

**Author's Notes: I wasn't going to write this chapter, but dammit, I couldn't resist. This is basically Sodapop's POV of the previous chapter. I always wondered what exactly went down between him and Sandy and I just had to write it. Also, a side note to one of my favorite reviewers Stay Gold: I'm sorry, but Dally and Johnny do have to die. I can't warp the story like that. I hope you'll keep on reading anyway, and if it's any consolation, AJ isn't going to end up pregnant in this story. That's a bit too cliched, even for me.**

**One more thing: I've decided, instead of making this one really long story, I'm going to cut it down into two stories. There will be about three more chapters of Oklahoma Moon, and then I'm going to pick up a couple of months later with a new one called Letter's in the Attic. Don't worry, I've already started outlining it and will have the first chapter up the day after this story ends. I'm not gonna leave you hanging, kiddo's!**

* * *

_So you sailed away, into a grey sky morning  
Now I'm here to stay, love can be so boring  
Nothing's quite the same now  
I just say your name now  
But it's not so bad  
You're only the best I ever had  
You don't want me back  
You're just the best I ever had  
So you stole my world, now I'm just a phony  
Remembering the girl, leaves me down and lonely  
Well, send it in a letter  
Make yourself feel better_

_But it's not so bad_

_You're just the best I ever had_

_-Gary Allan_

* * *

Sodapop watched as Steve parked his car and went over to AJ, who was sitting on her steps. He bit his lip, watching as Steve comforted her. He hated to admit, but he felt slightly jealous. Not of Steve and AJ's relationship, oh no. He was jealous of them having one another to comfort and hold on to. He needed that now.

Goddamn it, he needed_ Sandy_.

Soda wasn't sure what her deal was lately, but he hadn't seen her since Saturday night. Every time he called her house, both of her parents would tell him she wasn't feeling well, but he knew from Steve that she was in school. And when he called on Monday night, and spoke to her mother, Mrs. Collins had been very cool towards him. Soda was used to it out of Mr. Collins, but Sandy's Mom was always friendly.

Something was going on and he aimed to find out what it was.

Still sitting on the front porch, he pushed the swing with his foot and watched as AJ and Steve climbed into his car and drove off. Sodapop sighed. He knew what he needed to do, he thought, standing and walking into the house.

"Darry?" He called. He heard water running in the bathroom and realized his brother was in the shower.

Making a split second decision, he scrawled a quick note and grabbed Darry's keys.

He drove the four blocks to Sandy's house. He knew they were home; the house was ablaze with lights. He knocked on the door and waited for about thirty seconds before knocking again. Sandy's little sister, Emily, answered.

"Hey, Em." He said, looking at the fourteen-year-old. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of him; Sodapop ignored it. "Is Sandy here?" He asked.

"Um…yeah…just a sec…_CASSANDRA_!" She screamed over her shoulder.

"_WHAT_?" He heard Sandy answered, just a loudly.

"_COMPANY_!"

"_I'M COMING_!"

"She's coming." Emily tells Soda, who had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"I heard." He said dryly instead. He didn't mean to sound sarcastic, and he normally liked Emily a lot, but he knew that Sandy had been avoiding him on purpose and he wanted to know what the hell was going on.

Emily left him standing on the porch and, after about five minutes, Sandy came out.

"Soda," She said, smiling nervously at him. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to make sure you weren't dead or something." He said. He meant it as a joke, but it came out very sarcastic sounding and Sandy flinched a little.

"I don't know what you mean." She said and this time Soda did roll his eyes. It's not in his nature to be mean, but he was_ pissed_…he just hadn't realized it till he saw her.

"Come off it, Sandy." He said in a low voice. "We both know you've been avoiding me."

She dropped her gaze. "Yeah…sorry about that."

He felt his anger soften a little bit. "What's going on?" He asked. She looked back up at him, tears in her pretty blue eyes. "Sandy? What is it?" He started to feel a little scared.

"I'm leaving Tulsa." She told him. "Tomorrow afternoon, I'm flying to Florida to live with my Grandma and Grandpa."

"What?" Soda faltered. "But…_why_?"

She can't seem to meet his gaze. "I'm pregnant, Sodapop." She whispered and Soda swore his heart stopped, for just a few beats.

"What?" He asked again.

"I'm pregnant." She said louder.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Sandy nodded.

"I've already been to a doctor." She said. "I'm definitely expecting."

"Let's get married, then." He said. He'd promise anything to keep her from moving away. "I've got a job, I can take care of you and…and the baby."

She shook her head. "No, Soda. You've got enough on your plate trying to help Darry with Ponyboy."

"But I can't…just let you walk away with my kid!" He exclaimed. She shook her head again and mumbled something he couldn't quite make out.

"What?" He asked.

"I said, it's not your baby." She repeated. Soda felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"What do you mean…it's not mine?" He asked slowly. "How can it not be mine?"

She finally met his eyes. "I think you and I both know that." She turned, preparing to walk in the house.

"Sandy!" Sodapop called after her, making another rash decision. "I don't care, we can get married anyway, I'll raise the baby like it's my own, and no one will ever have to know-."

Sandy looked back at him, a sad smile on her face. "No, Soda." She said. "It's too late for that now."

She went inside and Soda stood on her sidewalk for what felt like hours, but was probably only seconds. Then he turned and walked slowly to Darry's truck; his heart felt like it had been carved from his chest.

How many times had he heard the phrase 'my blood ran cold'? He'd never understood it until now. His blood felt cold inside his body. Was he destined to spend the rest of his life losing the people he loved the most? First his parents, then Pony, and now Sandy? Who was next? Darry? Steve? AJ? He didn't know.

He didn't want to know.


	28. Unforgiven Too

_Lay beside me _

_Tell me what they've done  
Speak the words I wanna hear _

_To make my demons run  
The door is locked now _

_But it's open if you're true  
If you can understand the me _

_Then I can understand the you_

_What I've felt, what I've known  
Turn the pages, turn the stone  
Behind the door, _

_Should I open it for you?  
What I've felt, what I've known  
Sick and tired, I stand alone  
Could you be there? _

_'Cause I'm the one who waits for you  
Or are you unforgiven too?  
-Metallica_

* * *

It was Thursday afternoon. AJ sat in her last class, nervously jangling her foot, barely listening to the teacher. Right this minute, Tim, Brandon, Darry, and some of the other greaser leaders were meeting with some of big shot soc's to decide what was to be done.

AJ had been confused until Steve had explained it to her. The only likely solution was probably a rumble. AJ thought the whole ordeal was stupid and she had said so to Steve; they'd had their first argument in his car on the way to school that morning, while poor Amy and Two-Bit had both sat silently in the backseat, pretending they weren't there.

"You don't understand, AJ." He'd said to her. She shook her head.

"No, I guess I don't." She replied, glaring out her window. "I don't understand the point in fighting them. You can't win."

Steve looked at her. "You think the soc's can take us?" He asked in disbelief. AJ shook her head again.

"No, that's not what I meant! I think y'all could kick their snooty asses into next month, but it doesn't matter!" She paused, gathering her thoughts. "It won't matter whether we win or they win, they'll still come out on top."

Steve swung into a parking space; Amy sliding out from behind her sister before he had even turned the car off, Two-Bit right behind her. From the look on Steve's face, it was clear he still didn't quite get what she was saying. She sighed. "I've got to go to class."

She started to climb out, but he pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?" She gave him a half smile; how could she stay mad at that face?

"Okay."

"Miss Adare!" Mr. Syme's voice brought her out of her reverie. She brought her head up to see him looking at her. English was usually her favorite class and the only class she had with Ponyboy.

"Yes sir?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Glad to see you've joined the rest of us here on earth." He told her and she felt her face heating up. "Now, if you would kindly pick up reading where Mr. Moyer left off."

AJ flipped frantically through her copy of The Scarlet Letter. "Er…"

"We're at the beginning of chapter six, Abigail." His patience was wearing thin, she could tell. He was one of the teachers who called her AJ.

She quickly found the place and began to read. "_We__ have as yet hardly spoken of the infant that little creature, whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion__." _

After the final bell rang, AJ prepared to leave with the rest of the class, but Mr. Syme stopped her before she could get out the door.

"AJ?" He said. "May I speak to you a moment?"

"Uh…sure." She said, walking over to his desk. Shit, she knew she was in for it now.

He waited till the other kids had cleared the room before he began to speak.

"How are you doing?" He asked. She stared at him, surprised.

"I'm all right…" She began. He arched an eyebrow.

"AJ, I know how close you are to Ponyboy." He said. "And I can't imagine how tough this must be on you, but you've got to stay focused. I know there's a lot going on in your life right now, but school is important too."

She bobbed her head. "I understand, sir." Anything to get out of there. She glanced at the door; she could see Steve waiting on her, leaning against a row of lockers. "Um, is that all, Mr. Syme? My boyfriend is waiting for me…"

He waved his hand. "Go on, I'll see you tomorrow."

She hurried from the classroom. Steve straightened up. "What took you so long?" He asked, not unkindly.

"Oh, Mr. Syme wanted to talk to me." She replied. His brows knitted together.

"What for?"

She shrugged. "He…uh…just wanted to make sure I was doing okay; you know, 'cause of Ponyboy and Johnny and everything."

Steve mulled over this. It surprised him…teachers weren't nice to greasers usually. He didn't say anything, though.

They met Amy and Two-But by the front doors. Two-Bit looked at the holding hands. "Glad to see y'all made up." He said. "Me and Ames wasn't looking forward to listening to you two go at like cats and dogs again."

AJ nudged him with her elbow. "We weren't that bad." She said. She looked at Steve. "Can you drop us off at Alice and Brandon's?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, sure."

When Amy and AJ walked into the front door, Tim and Brandon were sitting in the living room, Brandon had Kimmy in her bouncer.

"Did y'all meet with the soc's?" She asked as soon as she saw them."What happened?"

"Hello AJ." Tim said loudly. "Yes, it's good to see you too. Me? I'm doing fine, thanks for asking."

"Hello Timothy." AJ said with exaggerated kindness. "How are you doing on this fine day?"

"That's better." He grinned and patted the seat beside him. AJ sat down and Amy plopped onto the floor.

"Seriously, what happened?" She asked.

"We're fighting them." Brandon answered. "Saturday night."

AJ sighed. "I was afraid of that."

"If they win, things stay the way they are now." Tim told her, lighting a cigarette. "But of we win, they stay off our turf and leave us alone for good."

"And do you think that'll happen?" Amy asked, looking up. Tim shrugged.

"It had better." Was his answer.

"Where's Alice?" AJ asked, noticing her sister wasn't around.

"Er…she's not here." Brandon said delicately. AJ eyed him.

"What'd you do?" She asked. He bit his lip.

"She's pissed at me 'cause I'm gonna be in the rumble Saturday night." He said finally.

"I don't blame her." AJ told him. "I don't like Steve fighting in it, either."

"We gotta stand together." Brandon said. "She says I'm not thinking of Kimmy, but dammit, I'm doing this for Kimmy."

Amy snorted. "Yeah, how so?"

"When she gets to be a teenager, I don't want her having to be worried about getting jumped when she's walking in her own neighborhood." He said. "I want to put an end to this shit. And besides, we need all the guys we can get Saturday night."

"Why?" AJ asked.

"Well, we're already missing Pony and Johnny and Curly-."

"What happened to Curly?" She asked, remembering he had been arrested the night before.

"They sent him down to Stillwater for six months." Tim told her. "He left this afternoon."

AJ slumped in her seat a little. "Shit." She said. "It's my fault he's in there."

Tim looked at her. "How do you figure?"

"Those soc's he was fighting where bothering me." She explained. "Curly was just defending me."

Tim shook his head. "It's still not your fault, kiddo." He said. "Those bastards shouldn't have been fucking with a girl in the first place. Shit like that, it makes me sick."

AJ sighed and closed her eyes. She just wanted this mess to be over with.


	29. Home Again

_Carry on my wayward son_

_There'll be peace when you are done_

_Lay your weary head to rest_

_Don't you cry no more_

_-Kansas_

* * *

It was Thursday evening. AJ tried not to remember how less than a week before; Pony had wanted her to go see a movie with him. She tried not to think about Pony at all.

She was hanging out in the parking lot of The Dingo with Steve, Dally, Two-Bit, Tim, Brandon, and some of the Brumly boys, whose names she couldn't remember. She wasn't even supposed to be there, she could tell by the look that Brumly number one (as she had taken to calling him in her head) had given her. But what was she supposed to do? After Brandon took her and Amy home, she had walked down to the DX to see Steve at work and he had brought her, after they dropped Soda off at home.

Poor Soda. It made AJ's heart hurt just to look at him. He was like a shell of his former self. AJ thought back to the way he had been just a week before, laughing and joking. AJ wished that Sandy hadn't already left for Florida, she'd hunt her down and kick her sorry, cheating ass herself, pregnant or not. Sodapop had treated her like a queen and this was the way she repaid him? It made AJ made enough to spit nails.

"I didn't know we were bringing our girls along." Brumly number one said loudly, bringing AJ out of her thoughts. Steve puffed up instantly.

"What of it?" He asked, his voice soft and bitter.

"She ain't got no right to be here, that's what of it." The guy spat back. He wore his dark hair greased back and had a mean, but handsome, face. "This here is man's business."

"Well, I'm sorry; I didn't realize this was 1899." Steve said sarcastically. He started forward, but AJ laid her hand on his arm to stop him. The last thing they need was for the greasers to be fighting among themselves.

"I'm just gonna go get a chocolate malt." She said. Two-Bit stood up from the car he was leaning against.

"I'll go with you." He said.

They got in line inside the diner. "I didn't mean to cause trouble." AJ said in a low voice to Two-Bit. He smiled and shook his head.

"You're no trouble; don't worry about it." He told her, tugging a strand of her short hair. "Them Brumly guys are weird, is all. They do things differently than we do, I guess."

When they got to the front of the line, they both ordered malts and Two-Bit paid for them, over AJ's protest. They had just headed back outside when a redheaded girl in a tuff looking Stingray pulled up. She was a soc for sure, but AJ wondered what she was doing there.

"Who's that?" She asked Two-Bit. He blinked in obvious surprise.

"Why, its Cherry Valance." He told her.

"Cherry Valance." AJ repeated and the name clicked into place. This was Bob's girlfriend, the girl who had caused all this mess in the first place.

"That's the dead soc's girl." Two-Bit whispered to the others. Brumly number two cracked his knuckles.

"We outta jump the little bitch." He said. AJ wasn't surprised, not really, when his buddy went along with the idea.

"I don't know how y'all do it on your side of town," Brandon said, shooting the two guys dirty looks. "But we don't mess with chicks on our turf, soc or not."

AJ could feel Cherry's eyes raking over her appraisingly, probably because she was the only female in the group. AJ looked down at her faded jeans, her old t-shirt, and her scruffy sneakers, and then at Cherry's matching skirt and blouse and her leather loafers. She looked like a ruffian next to this girl and she knew it.

Dally stepped forward. "Can we help you, doll face?" He asked.

"Um…yeah…I just wanted to say that I think I can help you." She looked nervous, but her voice didn't shake.

"How do you think _you_ can help _us_?" Tim asked coolly.

Cherry recoiled slightly at the sight of him and AJ wondered why. Tim wasn't _that_ scary looking…was he? She eyed him herself; he was good-looking, but, like the Brumly boy, he looked mean, especially with that scar that ran from his temple to his chin and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. She guessed, to someone who didn't know Tim or any of these boys really, they looked hard. And then she realized with a jolt, as she lit her own cigarette and slouched a little, that she looked hard, too.

"I can give you inside information." She replied.

"Like a spy?" Two-Bit spoke up, grinning. It seemed that even this socy girl wasn't impervious to his charm, because she grinned back.

"Exactly." She answered.

"And you're so willing to help us…why?" Steve asked. She looked at him and then at his arm, which was thrown over AJ's shoulder.

"Because…because this is all my fault." She said. "Bob was drunk and looking for a fight and I…I…" Her voice trailed off. She took a deep breath. "I want to help you." She said more calmly. "And I want to help Ponyboy."

AJ felt like spitting in her face, this girl with her leather shoes and diamond earrings and her brand new sports car. AJ knew that Cherry Valance had never seen her mother cry at the kitchen table because she didn't have enough money to cover the light bill or spend nights wondering where her father was.

She knew now why some greaser's graffitied nice houses and keyed the paint on new cars; it was for the same reason she wanted to beat this girl's perfect, beautiful face in. It was natural to want to destroy what you could never have, what you could never be.

Cherry had started to walk away, her business completed, duty done. Dallas gave his friends a shifty eyed grin and hurried to catch up to her.

"Hey, maybe we could head inside here, you and me, and I could buy you a Coke?" He asked, walking backwards beside her. She didn't even break her stride, just threw him a dirty look.

"Go to hell." She told him sweetly and climbed into her Stingray.

The other guys laughed as Dally came sauntering back towards them.

"That little gal hates your guts." Brandon called out. He glanced at his watch. "Shit, is that the time? I better get home before Alice gets anymore pissed at me."

"Your wife's got you on a tight leash there, doesn't she, Dunn?" Dallas asked and Brandon flipped him the finger.

"You just wait till you're married, Winston." He shot back. "Then you'll see what's what. If she ain't happy, _you_ ain't happy and all you boys would be best to remember that." He climbed in the front seat of his car, and then glanced at his sister-in-law. "AJ, you need a ride?"

"No, Steve's taking me home." She said. "He's having dinner with us tonight. Which," She glanced at him. "I'm fixing, so I better get home too."

Tim grinned. "What is it with you Adare girls? You always got your men wrapped around your little finger."

AJ shrugged. "Something in the water, I guess." She said, climbing into the front seat of Steve's car.

When they got back to AJ's house, she got to work making up a batch of fried chicken. Steve tried to help, but he was more in her way than anything, so she finally had him sit down and peel potatoes for her.

Amy came in a bit later.

"Where were you?" AJ asked. Amy shrugged.

"With Angel." She answered, heading to her room.

"Doing God knows what." AJ muttered to Steve who grinned, but kept his mouth shut. "Amy! Get your ass in her and make up some iced tea! Mama's gonna be home soon!"

"I'm coming!" Amy walked into the kitchen, tying her hair back into a ponytail. "Don't have a bird."

"Just make the tea and shut up." AJ told her. The three of them worked in near silence until Nora came home.

After supper, Steve and AJ sat on the front porch until it was time for AJ to go in and then Steve went next door.

* * *

Friday passed surprisingly uneventful. AJ tried to pay attention in all her classes, she went with Steve and Two-Bit down to the Handee-Mart for lunch, she played volleyball in gym and make slightly burnt cookies in Home-Ec. Steve took her and Amy home after school was over, where she did her homework and watched a little TV. When Steve's shift was over, he came back and sat in the living room watching Batman and then F-Troop, curled up on the couch under a blanket with AJ, while Amy sat in the armchair, throwing them occasional looks of disgust. At 8:30, when Star Trek came on, the phone rang. Amy answered it.

"Oh, hi Mom." She said. "You working late tonight…huh? Yep, she's right here. Yeah, Steve's here too…Mom, what's going on? All right, here she is." Amy handed the phone to AJ. "Mom wants to talk to you. Something's up, I think."

AJ took the phone. "Hello?"

"_AJ_?" Her mother's voice sounded weird.

"Yeah, what's going on, Mom?" She asked. "You're worrying me a little bit."

_"Honey, Ponyboy and Johnny are here."_


	30. Looking Through the Glass

**Author's Notes: Okay, only two chapters left after this one! I'm so excited tp start the next story in this series (there are going to be four stories all together) and I'll have it up as soon as I'm done with this one!**

* * *

_I'm looking at you through the glass_

_Don't know how much time has passé_

_But it feels like forever_

_No one ever tells you that_

_Forever feels like home_

_Sitting all alone inside your head_

_-Stone Sour_

* * *

"_Honey, Pony and Johnny are here_."

"Oh my God," AJ felt her heart in her throat. "Are they all right?"

"_Ponyboy is fine, just some minor burns-."_

"Wait, what?" AJ interrupted. "What do you mean, burns?"

_"There was a fire_." Nora explained. _"The two of the have been staying in an old church in Windrixville and it caught on fire."_

"Where the hell is Windrixville?" AJ asked.

"It's in the sticks." Steve whispered. "Dallas has some family there, I think." He stopped and something clunked into place. "Son of a bitch." He said to himself. Dallas had known where they were, the lying bastard.

"Dally?" AJ said aloud. She heard her mother's sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

_"Yes, he's fine too_." Nora said. _"Apparently he knew where they were the whole time and he went down to see them. His arms burnt, but he'll live. That boy is too contrary to die."_

AJ covered the mouthpiece with her hand. "Dally did know where they were." She told Steve and Amy.

"What about Johnnycakes?" AJ asked, realizing her mother hadn't said a word about him yet. Nora was silent. "Mom…? What about Johnny?"

"_Oh, sweetie_." Nora said, her voice quaking in a way that AJ didn't like. "_A burning beam fell on his back and broke it. The doctors don't think he's going to make it, and even if he does, he'll never walk again."_

AJ felt the blood drain from her face. "That…no…not Johnny…" She couldn't even get a good breath.

"What?" Steve asked. "What is it?" He snatched the phone from AJ's hand. "Ms. Nora, its Steve. Is Johnny all right?" He was silent as Nora filled him in on what was happening. "Okay." He said slowly. "What? Yeah, I can stay here with the girls. Okay. All right, I will. Bye."

Steve hung the phone up. "Your Mom wants me to stay here with you two tonight." He said. He looked at Amy. "Can you call Brandon and Alice and let them know that Pony and Johnny are back?"

"Yeah." She said. "What's wrong with Johnny?"

"His back is broken." Steve told her, trying to break it gently to the kid, but not quite sure how to go about it. "He's…well, they think he's going to die."

Amy swallowed hard and stood up. She took the phone from Steve to call her eldest sister. Steve looked at AJ, whose face was white. He touched her hand and she crumpled against him, crying. In all the years he'd known her, Steve had seen AJ lose it several times, but never like this.

He held her against his chest, letting her cry it out. After several minutes, Amy came back in the room. She wondered over to a high shelf and pulled down one of her Mom's old boxes of jigsaw puzzles.

She sat down in the floor in front of the coffee table and dumped the box out. Steve looked at her. "What're you doing?" He asked. She didn't even look up.

"What the hell does it look like?" She replied. "I'm putting a puzzle together. Duh."

"I can see that." Steve snipped. "I meant_ why_ are you putting a puzzle together?"

This time Amy did look up and he could see her eyes were rimmed red. She'd been crying. "I have to do something to keep my mind busy." She told him. "You wanna help?"

He shook his head, but after about five minutes, AJ pulled away from him and slid into the floor beside her little sister. She began to dig through the pieces.

After several more minutes, Steve got down beside them and began to hunt for pieces himself. He glanced at the front of the box. The picture was of a steam engine moving through the countryside. He located a bit of the corner and fitted it into the section Amy was working on.

No one spoke for a long time.

The three of them sat in the living room silently working on the puzzle for what felt like hours. At a little after midnight, they heard Darry's truck pull up next door. AJ flew to the window; she could see Soda and Darry climbing out and then Darry hefting Ponyboy up in his arms. He carried him into the house, with Soda stumbling sleepily behind.

"At least the kid is all right." Steve whispered to AJ, who nodded.

Amy fell asleep on the couch not long after that, and then AJ feel asleep on the floor. Steve threw a blanket over Amy and switched off the lamp. He laid down on the floor beside AJ and covered himself and her with another blanket. The last time he looked at the clock, it read 2:33 in the morning.

The next thing he knew, Ms. Nora was shaking him awake.

"Steve?" She was saying. "You need to wake up, sweetie."

For one groggy moment, Steve thought it was his mother shaking him awake. She was the only person to ever call him 'sweetie'. But when he opened his eyes, it was only Ms. Nora leaning over him, her green eyes, so different from AJ's, clouded with concern.

"Two-Bit's outside. He's waiting for you on the porch." She said when she saw he was awake. "He says that you and Soda are working today?"

"Oh yeah." Steve hated how he felt first thing in the morning, like his tongue was too big for his mouth. He looked beside him to see that AJ was also awake, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her hair stood up like a cockatoo's.

"Mama?" She asked. "How's Johnny? Is he-?" Nora shook her head.

"He's the same." She replied. "I'm going to bed; I've got to be back at the hospital at six."

AJ looked at Steve. "I'm going next door with you." She told him. "I need to see Pony with my own eyes."

He nodded, figuring that was coming.

They left Amy asleep on the couch and headed out into the cool morning air. Two-Bit was sitting on the front steps, smoking a Kool.

"Hey," He said. He was smiling, but something in his face was just…off.

"Hiya, Bit." AJ said, slinging her arm around him. He rested his head against hers for a moment, then handed Steve the morning paper.

"Look at this." He said.

The headline screamed **'Local Delinquents turn Heroes'**. AJ snorted, but read it over Steve's shoulder. The article was all about how Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally had saved those kids from the fire and how they would've died if not for them.

AJ, being a faster reader than Steve, finished the article before him. The majority of it had talked about Darry, Sodapop, and Pony, about how Darry worked two jobs and that Soda had quit school to work so they could stay together. It also mentioned the possibility that the courts might put Soda and Pony in a boy's home.

It made AJ uncomfortable to think of the little house next door with only Darry in it. She shut her eyes, willing those thoughts from her mind.

"Y'all ready to get next door and see the kid?" Steve asked, folding the paper after he was finished with it.

"Let's do it." Two-Bit agreed and slung his arm around AJ. Steve grimaced at him.

"Get yer paws off my girl, Matthews." He said and Two-Bit grinned but dropped his arm.

"I'm not a piece of property, Steven." AJ grumbled, but she was secretly thrilled.

They walked up the front steps of the Curtis house. Through the screen door, AJ could see Ponyboy, standing at the sink washing a pan. Her heart leapt at the sight of her friend and she had to keep herself from rushing to him and sweeping him into a giant hug. It was then that she noticed his hair; it was short, shorter than she'd ever seen it, and blonde.

"Knock knock!" Two-Bit sang out. "Anyone home?"

"In here!" Ponyboy called back as the three of them filed inside. "And don't slam the door."

Steve, the last one through the door, of course let it slam shut behind him. Two-Bit rushed into the kitchen and picked Pony up by his upper arms and swung him around.

"Hey, Ponyboy!" He said gleefully. "Long time no see, kid!"

He swung him around to face Steve and AJ and Steve slapped him playfully on the back, and then shoved him across the room. One of the two eggs Pony had been holding flew across the kitchen and landed on the clock. The other one was crushed in his hand and running down his wrist.

"Now look what you did." Pony complained. "There goes our breakfast. Can't y'all wait till I set the eggs down 'fore you go shoving me all over the country?"

AJ couldn't help but grin at how truly pissed he sounded and he shot her a small smile. "How you doing, Pony?" She asked. He shrugged.

"As well as can be expected, I guess." He answered. She gave him a swift hug.

"I'm glad to have you home." She whispered into his ear and he blushed a little, which AJ found strange, but ignored.

Two-Bit was circling him now. "Dig baldy here!" He cried. "And here I thought all the wild Indians in Oklahoma were tamed. What little Squaw's got that tuff lookin' mop of yours, Ponyboy?"

"Aw, lay off." Pony said, frowning.

"Well, now, Two-Bit, he had to get a haircut so he could get his picture in the paper." Steve said, winking at AJ, who grinned in spite of herself. "People'd never believe such a greasy lookin' mug could be a hero. How do you like being a hero, huh, big shot?"

Pony shook his head, looking confused. "How do I like being a what?" He asked.

"A hero," Steve shoved the morning paper at Ponyboy. "Like a big shot, even."

Pony took the paper while Two-Bit bent over to clean up some of the egg mess he'd made. AJ tried to gauge Pony's reaction as he read it, but couldn't really.

"What I like is the whole 'turn heroes' bit." Two-Bit said. "Y'all were heroes from the beginning; you didn't just_ turn_ all of a sudden."

Pony finished reading the paper and handed it back. "You mean," He swallowed hard. "They're thinking about putting me and Soda in a boy's home?"

"Something like that." Steve said, combing his hair into complicated swirls. Sleeping on the floor hadn't been good to it.

AJ glared at her boyfriend. He could've been a little nicer about it. "Pony, you don't worry about that." She said, squeezing his hand. "They ain't gonna break y'all up."

"No." Pony said. Two-Bit, now cleaning off the clock, turned to look at them.

"What?" He asked.

"No, they ain't gonna split us up." Pony said.

"Shit, don't worry about it." Steve told him, still combing his hair. "They don't do stuff like that to heroes. Say, where's Sodapop and Superman?"

Darry came into the kitchen. He ruffled his hand through AJ's hair and then picked Steve up and dropped him onto the floor.

Soda came running in behind Darry, half naked. Even though AJ was with Steve and would never consider Sodapop as anything but a stand-in big brother, she couldn't help but stare a little. "Where's my DX shirt?" He asked. "I washed it yesterday, I thought." He took a swig of chocolate milk straight from the carton and AJ wrinkled her nose. She wouldn't be drinking from _that_ half-gallon, she thought.

"Hate to tell you this, buddy." Steve said from his spot on the floor, where he was still laying. "But you gotta wear clothes to work. I think there's a law or something."

"Oh yeah." Soda said, as if it had just occurred to him that he didn't have any pants on either. "Where's my wheat jeans?"

"I ironed everything." Darry told him. "Its all in my closet. Better hurry up or we'll be late."

"I'm going, I'm going." Soda muttered. He pulled Steve to his feet and they both left the room. Ponyboy sat down beside AJ.

"Darry, do you know about juvenile court?" He asked. Darry, who was searching the icebox for something to eat, nodded.

"Yeah, the cops told me last night." He answered. Pony closed his eyes for a second, and then reopened them.

"I had one of those dreams last night." He continued. "You know, the ones that I can't remember?"

Darry spun around. "What?" He asked.

AJ was worried; Pony hardly ever had them anymore, but back when he was sometimes his screams were so loud they would hear him from her house.

"Was it too bad?" Two-Bit asked interestedly. He claimed he didn't dream and was always curious about everyone else's.

Ponyboy shook his head. "No." He answered, but AJ knew he was lying.

Darry began to say something, but before he could get it out, Steve and Sodapop came back into the room.

"You know what?" Soda said, leaning over the back of AJ's chair, still half dressed. "When we stomp the Soc's real good, me and Stevie here are gonna throw a huge party and everybody's gonna get wasted!"

"Whoo!" Steve said, throwing his hands in the air. He was holding a piece of chocolate cake, some of which flew onto AJ.

"Ugh," She brushed the pieces of cake off of her. "That's gross, Steven."

"Sorry, sugar." He dropped a kiss on her cheek and Pony pretend to puke,

"Where you gonna get the dough, little man?" Darry asked, eating his own slice of cake. Soda shrugged.

"We'll come up with it." Sod answered.

"You gonna bring Sandy to the party?" Pony asked and the whole room fell silent. Pony looked around. "What? What's wrong?"

"Sandy went to live with her grandma in Florida." Soda answered. He was looking at the floor, but the tips of his ears were red.

"How come?" Pony asked, looking around again.

"Look, does he half to paint you a damn picture?" Steve asked, his voice rough. "It was either that or get married and her parents weren't about to let her get hitched to a sixteen-year-old kid."

"Seventeen." Soda said quietly. "I'll be seventeen in a few weeks."

"We should have a double birthday again this year." AJ said in a lame attempt to change the subject. Soda's birthday was on October eighth and AJ's was only three days later on the eleventh.

Soda shot her a grateful smile. "We can't, you gotta have a Sweet Sixteen, don't you?"

She shook her head. "Nah…my Mom wanted to do some lame ass party with pink cupcakes or whatever, but I said no. Let's just do what we did last year."

Soda shrugged. "All right." He said.

A heavy silence fell and Darry stood up. "We better get going, Pepsi." He said. He looked at Pony. "I hate to leave you here by yourself...maybe I oughta take the day off."

Pony all but rolled his eyes. "I've stayed alone plenty of times." He said. "And we can't afford for you to miss a day of work."

"Yeah, but you just got back." Darry argued. "And I really oughta stay..."

"I'll baby-sit him." Two-Bit volunteered and Pony faked a swing at him. "I ain't got anything better to do."

"Why don't you get a job?" Steve asked in disgust. "You ever think about that, Bit?"

"And ruin my reputation?" Two-Bit was shocked. "Hell, I wouldn't be baysittin' the kid here if I knew of any nappy schools open on Saturdays-."

Ponyboy pulled Two-Bit's chair over backwards and leapt on him, but Two-Bit had him pinned in a second. "Holler Uncle!" He demanded, but Pony shook his head.

"No!" His face was starting to turn red.

"Two-Bit, let off." Darry said. "He ain't looking so hot. Pony, you take some aspirin and take it easy, you got it? You smoke more than a pack today; I'll skin you, savvy? AJ, you gonna hang around today?"

She nodded. "Yep."

"Make sure he does as I say, okay?"

AJ shot Darry a thumbs up. "I'm on it, Caption." She said and he tugged her earlobe.

"If you carry more than one bundle of roofing at a time," Pony told Darry. "Me and Soda here are gonna skin you."

Steve gave AJ a deep kiss goodbye and the other four guys groaned.

"Get a room!" Two-Bit said, throwing a wadded up towel at them.

"Or a blanket by the swimming hole." Steve said with a grin and AJ blushed.

"God," Darry said. "Randle, we don't wanna know the places you've defiled our honorary sister. Let's go before I puke, huh?"

The three of them filed out and AJ could hear Darry's truck rev to life. She could tell by the sound of it that Sodapop was driving.

She finished her cake as Two-Bit regaled her and Ponyboy with a story of how he met some other hoods downtown and had escaped getting into it with them.

She sighed and laid her head on the table. It was going to be a long day.


	31. We Didn't Start the Fire

**Author's Notes: Okay, my gentle readers, I have only one question for you: ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE? Oh my God, I can't believe I just wrote that, its seriously the corniest thing EVER...but i could resist!**

**Anyhoo, this is like, the longest chapter I have ever written and most of it is done from memory, because I was too lazy to dig my copy of the book out, so if I left anything out, I apologize for it now. Only ONE chapter left in this story after this one! I'm SO EXCITED for the next story in this series and I hope you all will read it, so you can find out what happens to our favorite gang in the year after the events of the book!**

* * *

_Everyone is rockin' and everyone is feelin' all right_

_It's all in the youth and soon there's gonna be a fight_

_I say_

_Someone's gonna get their head kicked in tonight_

_-Youth Brigade_

* * *

"We gotta clean this place up." Ponyboy said to AJ and Two-Bit. AJ lifted her head off the table. "The reporters or police might come by, and besides, its time for them people from the state to come by and check up on us again."

"Shoot, this house ain't messy." Two-Bit said. "You oughta see my house."

"We have." Ponyboy replied, indicating between himself and AJ. "And if you had the sense God gave a billy goat, you'd clean it up."

"Shoot if I did that, my Mom might die of shock." Two-Bit grinned.

"Or happiness." AJ added. Two-Bit frowned at her.

"Well, hell, when did this become 'make Two-Bit feel like shit day'? Just for that, I ain't gonna help y'all clean!"

At this, Pony actually laughed out loud. "Oh, like you was going to in the first place!"

"I was!" Two-Bit looked hurt. "But I ain't now." He took half the cake and wondered into the living room, where he flipped on Saturday morning cartoons.

Between Pony and AJ, it didn't take long to get the house clean. It wasn't overly messy to start with, AJ thought as she washed up the morning dishes. The bathroom was the messiest place (why was it so hard for men to pee inside the toilet?) and she was making Pony clean that up.

When they were done, the three of them started towards Tenth Street.

"I would drive us." Two-Bit said. "But the brakes went out on my car; almost killed me and Kathy they other night."

AJ rolled her eyes; she'd already heard all about this from Kathy.

"You wanna see a hood, you oughta see Kathy's brother. He's so greasy he glides when he walks. He goes to the barber for an oil change instead of a haircut." Two-Bit cracked and AJ laughed out loud. Even Pony managed a tiny smile.

They decided to stop at the Tasty Freeze for some soda's and a rest, when the blue Mustang that had been following them for eight blocks, pulled in behind them. These were the guys that jumped Pony and Johnny, AJ knew.

A lead weight settled in her stomach and Ponyboy looked ready to bolt. Two-Bit shook his head and tossed each of them a smoke.

AJ cupped her hand around the cigarette as she lit it. Four Soc's piled out of the Mustang. She felt Pony tense beside her and she gave his hand a quick squeeze. Two-Bit propped his elbow on Ponyboy's shoulder and AJ slouched a little, exhaling smoke from her cigarette.

"No jazz before the rumble." Two-Bit said to them. "You know the rules."

The tallest Soc, the one with the curly dark hair, sneered. "I know." He glanced at Ponyboy and his gaze softened. "I came to talk to you."

Pony glanced at Two-Bit who shrugged. He then looked at AJ, who squeezed his hand again. "We'll be here if you need us." She whispered to him. He nodded and went with the guy.

The other three Soc's kind of scuffed their feet and looked anywhere but at Two-Bit and AJ. AJ was surprised; it was really the first time she'd been around the jet set without them making snide comments.

"That kid your boyfriend?" One of the Soc's asked suddenly. AJ looked around and realized that he was talking to her.

"What kid?" She asked in real confusion. The Soc rolled his eyes.

"The hero." He nodded towards Pony. "He your guy or what?"

"No!" AJ blurted out, generally shocked. The guy raised his eyebrows and Two-Bit chuckled. AJ felt her face redden.

"I mean, uh, no." She said. "We're just friends."

The Soc grinned at her lasciviously. "Oh really?" He said. "It's surprising that a pretty little thing like you doesn't have a boyfriend."

AJ finally got what he was hinting at and apparently, so did Two-Bit. He stepped protectively in front of her. "She didn't say that she didn't have a boyfriend." He fairly growled. "Just that Ponyboy wasn't."

The Soc looked like he wanted to say something, but before he had a chance, Pony had come back over and the Soc was honking for his friends to come and get into his car.

"What did he want?" Two-Bit spat. "What'd Mr. Super Soc have to say?"

"He ain't a Soc, just a guy who wanted to talk." Pony shrugged.

Two-Bit shook his head. "Y'all wanna go see a movie before we go see Johnny and Dal?"

"Nope." Pony said, lighting another cigarette.

AJ was glad; she just wanted to see her friends.

They continued their trek to hospital. Once they got there, AJ was afraid they had walked all that way for nothing. The nurses refused to let them in to see Johnny because he was in critical condition. No visitors allowed.

Finally, Johnny's doctor, hearing their pleas to see their buddy, wondered over. He looked over Johnny's chart, then at the three teens begging to see their friend.

"Let them in." He said. "He's been asking for them, and besides, it can't hurt now."

AJ felt her stomach drop. She glanced at Pony and saw the looked of fear mirrored in his eyes. She started to follow the boys in, but then thought of something. She turned to the doctor.

"Excuse me, sir?" She asked in her politest voice. He smiled gently at her.

"Yes?"

"Um…has anyone called Johnny's older sister, Reesa?" She asked. "She lives in the Southern part of the state, and her family doesn't see her much-."

The doctor considered his chart again. "Yes, Theresa and Dwayne Parsons were notified, per the patient's request. They should be here any time now."

AJ nodded. "Good." She said. She slipped into the room.

If she thought seeing Johnny after he was beat up was bad, this was a thousand times worse. It hurt AJ to even look at him.

"We'll bring you some hair grease the next time we come." Two-Bit was telling him. "We're having the big rumble tonight."

Johnny's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. AJ sat down beside him and reached out for his hand as Two-Bit chattered on about how bad it was that Johnny and Dally couldn't be there. Johnny's eyes found AJ's and she tried to smile at him, but she just couldn't.

"He came by." Johnny said. AJ's head flew up; obviously she'd missed something.

"Tim Shepard?" Two-Bit asked. Johnny nodded.

"Came to see Dally." Johnny said. "But he stopped in here to see me too."

"Do you know you got your name in the paper for being a hero?" AJ asked him. He gave her a half smile.

"Tuff enough." He said. He tried to sound happy, but he was as pale as a ghost. His eyes found AJ again.

"Ms. Nora was in and out all of last night." He told her. "I told her to call Reesa and Dwayne and she said she would."

AJ nodded. "She did; the doctor says they're on their way."

Johnny nodded. "Hope I get to see 'em." He mumbled. AJ could see their conversation was wearing him out. Two-Bit did too.

"Anything else you want besides hair grease?" He asked.

"The book." Johnny looked at Ponyboy. "Can you get me another one?"

AJ and Two-Bit both looked at Pony. "He means Gone with the Wind." He explained. "So I can read to him. You think you could run down to the drugstore and pick on up?"

Two-Bit nodded. He looked at AJ. "You wanna come with me, kiddo?" He asked her. She shook her head no. As much as she wanted to get out of that room, she couldn't leave Johnny. "All right, well don't y'all run off now, hear?"

"Dally's gonna be all right." Pony told Johnny, sitting down. "And me and Darry, we're doing all right now."

Johnny tried to smile, but he went white and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Johnny!" AJ and Ponyboy both hopped up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm all right." He said. "It just hurts sometimes. It usually don't…I can't feel nothin' below the middle of my back…"

AJ felt like she might be sick.

"I'm pretty bad off, aren't I?" He asked suddenly and AJ and Pony's eyes met over the body of their friend. How could they tell him what they themselves didn't even wanna face? He was dying.

"You'll be all right." Pony said with fake cheeriness. "You gotta be, we can't get along without you."

The words hung in the air and AJ realized the truthfulness of them. How would they get by without Johnny? She thought back to a few months before, when the two of them had drank midnight hot chocolate and talked at the kitchen table, of all the times she had woken to find Johnny sleeping on the couch. Things would never be the same without him.

"I won't be able to walk again." Johnny told them. "Not even with crutches; I busted my back."

"You'll be okay." Pony said again and AJ could hear the tears in his voice. Don't you cry Ponyboy Michael Curtis, she silently willed him, and don't you dare cry, because I won't be able to stand it.

"You want to know something?" Johnny asked. "I'm scared stiff. I used to talk about killing myself," He drew in a breath. "But I don't wanna die. It ain't long enough. Sixteen years ain't gonna be long enough.

"I wouldn't mind if there wasn't so much stuff I ain't done yet….so many things I ain't seen. You know what? The time we was down in Windrixville, that's the only time I've ever even been away from our neighborhood."

AJ could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she quickly brushed them away before Johnny could see.

"You ain't gonna die." Pony said roughly. "And don't be gettin' all juiced up, 'cause they won't let us see you no more."

Johnny closed his eyes and rested easy for a minute. The room was quiet, AJ and Pony's eyes meeting over him again.

"Johnny," The nurse came to the door. "Your mother's here to see you."

Johnny's eyes flew open. "I don't wanna see her!" He said in a firm voice.

"She's your mother-." The nurse began, but Johnny cut her off.

"I said, I don't want to see her." His voice was rising. "She's probably come to tell me about all the trouble I'm causing her and about how glad her and the old man'll be when I'm dead. Well, tell her to leave me alone. For once," His voice broke. "For once just to leave me alone."

Johnny gasped, went chalk white, and then passed out cold.

"I knew something like this would happen if he had visitors." The nurse said, looking at AJ and Ponyboy like it was their fault. She hurried them out the door and they ran into Two-Bit, who was on his way back in.

"You can't see him just now." The nurse said. Two-Bit handed her the book.

"Make sure he gets this when he comes around." He said and the nurse nodded.

Two-Bit looked at the door that the woman had just closed in their faces. "I wish it were anyone but Johnny." He said, uncharacteristically soft. "We could get by without anybody but Johnny."

AJ felt the need to cry again. "Let's go see Dally." She said abruptly, trying to keep her voice even.

As the three of them walked further down the hall, the saw Mrs. Cade. AJ knew her immediately, they all did. She was a tiny woman, no taller than Amy, with shining black hair and Johnny's big, olive eyes. That was as far as any resemblance went, though. Johnny's eyes were anxious and sensitive. Mrs. Cade's eyes were as cheap and as hard as an old motel bed.

"I have a right to see him!" She was saying as they passed her. "I'm his mother! After all the trouble his father and I went through to raise him, this is our reward! He's just as bad as that slut sister of his, I tell you!" Her eyes lit on the three of them as they walked by.

"He'd rather see these no account hoodlums than his own family!" She gave them such a look of hatred that AJ was actually frightened. "This is all your fault! Running around in the middle of the night, getting jailed and God knows what else!"

Two-Bit stopped and AJ and Ponyboy exchanged Looks.

"It's no wonder he hates your guts!" Two-Bit told her, his voice clogged with grief. "You ain't nothin' but a lousy drunk and I hope you rot in hell!"

Mrs. Cade looked like she had been slapped in the face and AJ felt a jolt of pride for her friend.

He wanted to say more, but before he could, Pony had grabbed his forearm and was pulling him on down the hallway. They didn't speak until they got to Dally's room.

He was arguing with his nurse, they could hear him from the hallway.

"Man, am I glad to see y'all!" He said when they came in. "They won't let me smoke or nothing and I WANT OUT!"

Dally shouted the last bit at the open door. The nurse came back in. "Where's your gown?" She demanded. Dally smirked.

"I threw it away." He said in a snotty voice. The nurse threw her hands up in frustration.

"I swear to God, I can't wait to see the tail end of you!" She told Dallas. She started to storm out, but stopped and looked at AJ.

"You're wanna Nora's girls, aren't you?" She asked. "The middle one?"

AJ nodded. "Yes, ma'am." She said. The woman narrowed her eyes.

"Your mother know you're running around with this hood?" She jerked her thumb at Dally, who smirked again.

"Ms. Nora loves me." He said in the same insolent tone. "You can ask her yourself. She says I'm like the son she never had."

The nurse rolled her eyes and went on out. AJ looked at Dally.

"When did my Mom say that?" She asked. Dally grinned.

"Well…she hasn't, but I know she thinks it." He said. "So, Shepard came by to see me earlier."

"That's what Johnny said." Pony replied. "What's he want?"

"Said he saw my picture in the paper, and couldn't believe it didn't have WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE under it." Dally chuckled. "Mostly, I think he came to rub it in about the rumble. Man, I hate missin' it." He glanced at AJ. "Brandon was with him. Said you and Amy are stayin' with Alice and the baby while the fights going on."

"So?" AJ asked. Dally shrugged.

"Just glad you and the squirt will be out of the way, is all." He looked at Ponyboy. "Man, I thought I killed you yesterday. You scared the devil outta me, kid."

"Me?" Pony sputtered. "What'd I do?"

"When you jumped outta that church." Dal explained. "I meant to hit you just hard enough to knock you down and put out the fire, but when you dropped like a ton of lead, I thought I'd aimed too high and broke your neck." He paused and looked around. "I'm glad I didn't."

Pony grinned. "I bet." He said.

Dally looked around again. "So…uh…how's the kid?" He asked and AJ knew he was referring to Johnny.

Two-Bit looked at the floor. "Shit, Dal, I don't know about stuff like this, but…he seemed pretty bad off. He passed out cold before we left."

Dallas clenched his mouth so hard, his jaw went white and he cursed under his breath. "You still got that fancy black handled blade?" He asked Two-Bit.

"Yeah." Two-Bit nodded.

"Give it here." Dally held his hand out for it and Two-Bit handed it over. "We gotta win that fight tonight. We gotta beat those Soc's. We got to, for Johnny."

Dallas laid back on his bed, his mouth set and his eyes blazing. They started to leave, because they knew not to mess with Dally when he was in one of his moods, but he called AJ back just as she went out the door.

"Here." He pulled his Christopher medal from around his neck. "I want you to hang on to this for me."

AJ took it and hung it around her own neck. "How come?" She asked. Dally only let girls he was sleeping with wear it normally. He glared at her.

"Don't be askin' me a bunch a stupid ass questions, girl." He told her. "Just do as I say and keep it safe."

"All right, Dal." She told him. He waved his hand.

"Get outta here now."

AJ ran back out into the hallway to catch up with the boys.

They decided to catch as bus home, as Pony was just too tired to walk. Two-Bit left them on the bench by the bus stop while he went into the gas station to buy some cigarettes. Pony had leaned back and had his eyes shut and AJ couldn't shake the nervous feeling in her stomach.

Something bad was going to happen. She knew it.

At 6:00 that evening, Steve drove AJ and Amy over to Alice and Brandon's. Tim and the rest of his boys were there, along with Angel Shepard.

"She's gonna stay here with us." Amy said. The two of them sat down with some back issues of Seventeen magazine in the living room.

"Where's Alice?" AJ asked Brandon.

"In the nursery." He answered. "She won't come out; she's pretty pissed at me."

AJ walked down the hallway to Kimmy's nursery, all done up in baby ducks.

"Hey," AJ pushed the door open. Alice sat in the rocking chair, Kimmy curled up in her lap.

"Hi." She answered. Her mouth was set in a thin, hard line and AJ could tell that her big sister was more than pissed. She was livid.

"You all right?" AJ asked, shutting the door behind her and sitting on the floor. Alice nodded.

"Oh yeah," She answered. "If those idiots wanna get themselves all beat up for no fucking reason, who am I to judge? I'm only his wife, only the mother of his child. But we're not important, so ma'am. Tim Shepard and that fucking gang come first, you better believe it. They're his real family, not me and Kimmy."

AJ was shocked. "Did he really say that?" She asked.

Alice shook her head. "No." She admitted. "But he makes me feel that way."

"Ally?" Brandon was knocking lightly on the door. "We're getting ready to leave…will you please talk to me?"

"Go talk to Timmy and your boys!" Alice told him. "They're the only ones who matter, aren't they?"

"Dammit, Alice!" Brandon shouted. "Open this goddamned door! I love you and you better open it up!"

"Fuck off!" Alice screamed back. Kimmy woke up and began to cry. "No see what you did? Go get your head bashed in and leave us be!"

"Alice…" Brandon's voice was a low cry. "Please. I want to see you."

"Leave. Me. Alone." Alice told him. "Just go, Brandon. I know you want to, so go."

There was silence in the hallway and AJ heard the vehicles in the front start up. Alice was crying and trying not to show it. AJ went to open the door and Brandon was still standing there.

She looked at him in surprise. "Uh…Alice…" She said. Her sister looked up.

"What're you still doing here?" She asked in shock. Brandon shrugged.

"I told Tim I was gonna sit this one out." He replied. "He didn't like it…but well, you're my wife and…"

AJ back down the hallway, trying to give them privacy. She went back into the living room with Amy and Angel.

"He stood up to his gang for the woman he loves." Angel sighed. "That is so romantic!" She looked at AJ. "Are you really going out with Steve Randle?"

"Yeah." AJ answered, loving the prick of pride that she felt. Angel raised her brows.

"He's pretty cute." She said. "Have you guys done it yet?"

"Uh…" AJ wasn't sure how to answer.

"They have." Amy answered for her. AJ scowled at her.

"How the hell do you know?" She asked. Amy rolled her eyes.

"I just do."

AJ lay down on the couch. It was gonna be a long evening.

It really wasn't that long. AJ dozed off on the couch and awoke when Tim and his boys burst in, bloody and muddy as hell, shouting that they had won.

"How's Steve?" AJ asked Tim. He rolled his eyes.

"Lover boy's fine." He told her. "Got his mouth busted, a tooth knocked out, but he's fine. They all are."

"I'll drive you over there." Brandon told her, coming out of the back. His clothes were rumpled and his hair was a mess and AJ knew he and Alice had been having quiet makeup sex in the floor of Kimmy's nursery. She shuddered.

Gross.

Brandon dropped her off outside of the Curtis' house and she ran up the walk and through the front door. Just like the Shepard boys, they were all muddy and bloody. Darry was taping up his knuckles and Steve had an ice pack held to his mouth. He smiled when he saw her and his lip split further, causing blood to trickle down his mouth.

"Oh my God." AJ rushed to him. "Baby, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said and AJ saw he was missing a tooth. He didn't tell her that he suspected some of his ribs were broken. She looked around.

"Where's Ponyboy?" She asked.

"He took off with Dally." Sodapop answered.

AJ spent the next few hours trying to help her boys get cleaned up and doctoring their wounds. She taped Steve's ribs up and had sewed up Two-Bit's cheek, trying not to be too grossed out, knowing she'd be teased for the rest of her life if he came out of it with a crooked scar. She'd helped Darry clean his split knuckles with some rubbing alcohol and had tended the bruise on Soda's cheek.

By this time, everyone was worried sick about Pony and Dally, not knowing where they had headed off too.

"Hey," Darry said, when he saw his youngest brother. "Where you been?"

Pony walked dully across the room. His face was all bloodied up.

Darry looked at Soda and then back at Pony, the alarm clear on his face. "Pone…what's the matter?"

"Johnny's dead." Pony told them and AJ sat down hard, feeling like her legs couldn't support her weight. "I told him about the rumble and I don't know…he just died."

Everyone was silent. Steve sat on the couch beside AJ and wrapped his arm around her, but she was too shocked to even cry. Two-Bit closed his eyes and clenched his mouth shut. Soda made a strange noise in the back of his throat and sat down on AJ's other side.

"Dallas is gone." Pony continued. His voice sounded weird. "He ran outta there like the devil was after him. He's gonna blow; he couldn't take it."

"So he finally broke." Two-Bit spoke up. "Even Dally has a breaking point."

"Ponyboy," Soda said softly. "You need to sit down. You look sick."

"I'm okay." Pony began to back up, like he was scared of them or something. "I don't wanna sit down."

AJ reached for her friend. "Pony…" She said, but he backed into the wall, shaking his head.

"Don't touch me." He told her.

The phone rang before anyone else could say anything. Darry answered it.

"Hello?" He answered. He was silent for a few seconds, and then hung up. "That was Dally. He's…he just robbed a grocery store and the cops are after him. We've got to hide him! He'll be at the lot in a few minutes."

They all jumped up, even AJ, but Steve pushed her back down.

"Stay here." He told her.

"But…"

"Stay here!" He screamed in her face and AJ skittered backwards away from him.

She followed them out onto the porch into the cold night air and watched as her friends ran down the block. And when she heard the gunshots ringing through the air, she leaned over the porch railing and puked into the bushes.


	32. Only the Good Die Young

**Author's Notes: All right, I compromised. So many of you begged me to keep Johnny and Dally alive, that I decided to let Dally live. He's not going to be in the next story, but he will be prominent in the third and fourth ones. I hope you all are happy with this choice and that it softens the blow of Johnny's death! **

**This chapter is a lot shorter than the others and, I thought, a real tear jerker. I cried (several times) while writing it, but I'm sappy like that. I hope you all enjoy it and thank you to everyone who reviewed this story and/or added it to your favorites!**

* * *

_And I go back to the loss_

_Of a real good friend_

_And the sixteen summers I shared with him_

_No only the good die young_

_And it stops me in my tracks_

_-Kenny Chesney_

* * *

**Four Days Later-**

The morning of Johnny's funeral dawned a beautiful sunny and clear day. Too beautiful, AJ thought, to be burying their friend.

Dallas was fine. The cops hauled him back to hospital and then to jail. He'd had his sentence on Monday. Two years in the state pen for armed robbery.

He was supposed to be moved on Tuesday, but the judge had made an allowance for him to stay until Wednesday afternoon so he could attend Johnny's funeral. He stood there along with the rest, in his jail jumpsuit and handcuff's…they even had his legs shackled, which AJ thought was a bit much.

She had a large part to play in this funeral, one she wished now she hadn't agreed to do.

Sunday morning, Reesa had come to her front door.

"I'm so sorry." AJ had told her. Reesa smiled sadly and cupped her hugely pregnant stomach.

"Dwayne and I tried so many times to get him to come and live in Rainwater with us." She said. "I wanted to badly to get him out of this neighborhood and away from them." She wouldn't even say her parent's names. "But he wouldn't leave. He said he couldn't leave y'all, that you were his true family.

"I know Ms. Nora took him in a lot of nights." She continued. "And I know he thought the world of you, so I was wondering…would you sing at his funeral?"

"Sing?" AJ was taken aback. "Sing what?"

"Well, Dwayne's gonna play Amazing Grace on his fiddle and I was hoping you would accompany him. If I remember right, you've got a voice like Brenda Lee."

AJ shook her head, but she was flattered. "I don't know about that-." She started, but Reesa cut her off.

"Don't deny it, AJ. I've heard you sing." She said. "Please do this for us. For Johnny."

"All right." AJ relented. "I'll sing for y'all."

And that's how she found herself breaking away from her spot between Steve and Soda and going to stand next to Reesa's husband, Dwayne, as he pulled his fiddle from its case. As Johnny's casket was lowered into the ground, Dwayne began to play and AJ to sing.

"_Amazing grace, how sweet the sound_

_That saved a wretch like me_

_I once was lost, but now am found_

_Was blind, but now I see"_

Steve Randle wasn't a crier. He never had been, even when his own mother had died when he was eleven, he had barely cried…in front of anyone.

Now though, as his buddy was being lowered into the ground and AJ's voice, clear and sweet as a bell, rang out over the sounds of the mournful fiddle, he felt a prickling burn at the back of his throat. Beside him, Sodapop was crying silently and even Dallas was biting his lip awful hard. Steve shoved his hands deep in his suit pockets and rocked on his heels. Johnny's parents were standing side-by-side, Mrs. Cade crying loudly. Anyone who didn't know the family would see a grieving mother. Those who did saw nothing but a fake.

"_Twas grace that taught my heart to fear_

_And grace my fear relived_

_How precious did that grace appear_

_The hour I first believed"_

Steve glanced around again. There were a lot of people there. He could see Evie and Sylvia standing in the back, some of the teachers from school, and even a few soc's. Standing right in the front was the entire gang, Johnny's parents, and Reesa, holding little Shannon in her arms. Sherilyn and Tally Matthews were both there; Tally was gripping her older brother's hand tightly.

"_Through many danger, toils, and snares_

_I have already come_

_Tis grace that brought me safe thus far_

_And grave will lead me home"_

The entire Shepard outfit was there, Tim and Brandon standing side by side near the front of the crowd. Alice was with them, crying so hard that Brandon had to take Kimberly from her. Ms. Nora and Amy were on Steve's other side and Steve wasn't at all surprised to see Nora glaring daggers at the scene that Mrs. Cade was making. He laid his hand on her arm and she looked up at him. He could feel the waves of anger drifting off AJ's mother and wouldn't be surprised if she dove across the grave and attacked Johnny's mother herself.

"_When we've been there ten thousand years_

_Bright shining as the sun_

_We've no less days to sing God's praise_

_Than when we first begun."_

AJ's voice rang out on the last note and then there was silence. Reesa stepped forward them and Steve realized she was going to give Johnny's eulogy. She opened a brown leather Bible and began to read a marked passage.

_"Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" _

"_And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.' Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"_

"How will I remember my little brother?" Reesa asked aloud, closing her Bible. "Well, that's easy. He was just that…my baby brother. Even though he was taken from us long before his time, I know everyone who knew Johnny was touched by him. He gave his life to save those of strangers, of children he didn't even know and I'd say that makes him pretty special. Looking at him from the outside, most people would have seen a hood. But to those of us who knew Johnny personally, we knew him to be a sweet, kind, and considerate kid, who gave far more than he received and deserved much better than what life handed him." Reesa paused.

"And I know that Johnny's is looking down on us today and begging us not to be sad. He couldn't stand to see people upset. So when you think of Jonathan James Cade, don't think of the sad eyed boy who's life gave him so little. Think of sweet Johnny, the young man who tried so hard to see the goodness in things everywhere he went."

Reesa closed her eyes. "Rest in peace, baby." She whispered. "We'll see you when we get there. But for now, we'll keep living our lives in your honor and wishing everyday you were here to partake with us."

And, Steve thought, as he gripped AJ's hand and looked up at the perfect blue sky, they would.

They definitely would.

* * *

**Author's Notes: And there you have it, my sweets. The final chapter. I'll have the next story in this series, which I've decided to call Secrets in the Attic, up tomorrow sometime, so be sure and add me to your author watch list!**


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